Bijuu King
by MyNameIsARickRoll
Summary: Naruto gets sucked into his mind after a particularly bad day in Konoha. In it, he meets his Bijuu, he Kyuubi No Kitsune who proposes a deal. Read to see if Naruto takes the deal, and what happens to him afterwards
1. Chapter 1 Naruto's Bad DAY

**Right, this is my first story ever to be uploaded on . It's only the prologue to see if you guys think it's worth continuing, but if you do want more just tell me in a review. I write for the readers, not reviews, so once I've made sure people will be reading, I won't ask for reviews before updates. So hope you enjoy, review if you want, and tell me if it's worth continuing. If I continue, the story will definately be over 60,000 words.**

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Prologue

Naruto lay in bed after a particularly harsh day. Usually, his only complaints were thoughtless glares and the occasional snide comment from a villager. On even the worst day, all he'd have to fear was a rock to the head or a small beating from the the inhabitants of Konohagakure. However, this was not a normal day for Naruto Uzumaki.

_FlashBack_

Naruto had simply been walking home from Ichiraku Ramen, and had filled up on as many bowls he could afford. Miso, chicken, beef, seafood...Ichiraku's had it all. Naruto had tried hundreds of different types of ramen from almost as many stores, but he couldn't find a single place that even came close to the taste sensation Ichiraku's provided.

So, he had been on his way back to his small run-down apartment when he had heard a small yelping sound from in an alley. He'd gone to check it out, and maybe help whatever animal was making the sound- it wasn't uncommon for Naruto to take small animals who had done themselves harm in one way or another to the Inuzuka Animal Clinic. As he had entered, he had found the alley surprisingly light. Venturing forth, he found an unusually large rat being devoured by a snake. Snakes were unusual in Konoha at the best of times, but they were almost unheard of at this time of year.

Leaning forward to watch the snake continue it's meal, Naruto had inadvertantly frightened the snake. Regurgitating it's meal as quickly as an energised Naruto could say ''Believe it!'' the snake had struck. The venom of the snake wasn't particularly harsh, but Naruto didn't know that. Running away, yelling at the top of his voice, Naruto made his way to the Konoha Hospital almost as fast as any villager who hadn't witnessed the Yondaime's Hiraishin No Jutsu had ever seen. Upon arrival, Naruto had found that once again the nurses and doctors had refused to heal 'The Little Demon''.

Crying, Naruto had continued to make his way to the only place likely to help. Stumbling into the Hokage Tower, Naruto was feeling lightheaded and more nauseous than the day he had gotten Iruka to pay for nearly 50 bowls of ramen. Suffice it to say, he had happily eaten them all but his stomach had complained at the influx of noodles later in the day. It wasn't long before Sarutobi stumbled out of his office and made his way to the heavily sweating pale boy sat in the corner of the corridor, simply too tired to move any further. It was unusual to see the boy sitting still for five minutes, but Sarutobi knew it must be serious and therefore didn't take time to appreciate the novelty.

''Naruto, what happened to you!'' The Hokage nearly yelled, voice shaky and hoarse from being cooped up silently doing paperwork for hours.

''Bit...snake...feel bad...help...'' the small boy stuttered out, breathing laboured and breaking in between each word. It was obvious the poison was taking effect.

''ANBU,'' the Hokage spoke, and three ninja with animal masks jumped seemingly out of no-where. ''Bring me Anko, and as fast as possible.'' His tone left no room for negotiation.

_FlashBack Over_

It didn't take Naruto long to get himself completely sorted out and healthy again, although with notes from Anko to take large amounts of bedrest (which he almost immediately decided to ignore) but the fact that the villagers had been completely happy to let him die was confusing to him. He wasn't sure why they seemed to hate him, and he wasn't sure what they meant when they called him things like ''demon child'' and ''bane of the village'' but he did understand that he obviously was not wanted in Konoha.

Drifting off into deep thought, Naruto began thinking about what it was to be a ninja. He had only failed the academy for the second time recently. It wasn't due to lack of skill, but because he was specifically set much harder exams than everyone else. It was almost as if Konoha council hated him too! For Kami-sama's sake, they once made him take his taijutsu exam against a Jounin, instead of another academy student just because Iruka-sensei had reported he had made improvements. Naruto knew he was a pretty good ninja for his age, but his failed tests always made his grades sink lower.

**''Naruto, come here.'' **A deep voice boomed from within Naruto's mind. He immediately became distraught, thoughts of a genjutsu or a crazy mind-possessing jutsu from one of his more skilled antagonists flying into his head.

''Who-who are you? How are you in my head? Come out now, so I can get rid of you!'' Naruto internally yelled, hoping the connection worked both ways.

**''Shut up, baka, you couldn't defeat me even if you were the Hokage himself. Now close your eyes and come in here!'' **the voice repeated equally as loud as it had before. Naruto began to worry...a ninja who could defeat even the Hokage...it was unheard of, and it make the pre-genin almost shake in fear. But he had too much pride for that.

''No, you shut up, you're the one who's in my head without permission!'' Naruto almost screamed into his own mind.

**''I guess I have to do it the hard way...'' **the voice said, before Naruto felt a hard yanking sensation, then his mind flying before crashing to a halt into a hard wall.

''What is this place?'' Naruto thought to himself, getting no answer for the first time since the conversation had begun.

He began wading through the shallow pool of water gathered at his feet and up to his knees. He followed the pipes, which were thick and red and lined the walls in almost every direction. If he looked really closely, he saw that the pipes pulsed slightly as if responding to some human gesture. As he walked for what seemed to be hours, going seemingly no-where, he saw a glint of light. Making his way toward the light, he saw something that looked like a huge eye. Mildly surprised, he decided to continue onward and see just what the eye belonged too.

Stumbling over the last corner, he found himself face-to-eye with the giant eye. It wasn't long before the eye moved backwards, and his entire face was revealed. It had long ears that lay almost flat against it's head, It's yellowed eyes being taller than Naruto himself, and it ferocious teeth each being the length of a relatively tall man. As it's entire body was revealed, Naruto realised what he was looking at... The Kyuubi No Kitsune...the bijuu that the Yondaime was supposed to have killed.

And he was terrified.

**''Relax Kid, I'm not going to hurt you...I want to make a deal.'' **the Kyuubi said. From his voice, it didn't look like a question, or even a slightly negotiable situation. Naruto was going to talk, whether he liked it or not.


	2. Chapter 2 Meeting with Kyuubi

Bijuu King, Chapter 1

**Meeting with The Kyuubi**

''Y-you! You're supposed to be dead! The Yondaime killed you, everyone saw it!'' Naruto spluttered out. He could barely form his words from a mixture of terror, awe and a willingness to prove himself to such a large powerful being.

**''Lies! A Bijuu such as myself cannot be killed, not even by your precious Yondaime Hokage! The most you shinobi and kunoichi can do to us is seal us within your newborns and let them take the strain of our chakra. Tell me, have you heard of a Jinchuuriki?'' **the Kyuubi said, his voice quieter than previously but still booming in the small boys ears.

''A jinchuuriki? Sure, those're the really unlucky kids that no-one likes because a tailed demon was sealed within them. No-one likes to play with them, and we're really lucky we don't have one in Konoha! Iruka-sensei says they're just normal, but other people say they really suck!'' Naruto said, puffing up his chest in pride of his knowledge. Obviously now, the demon would take him seriously!

**''They are normal. The only difference is, they can speak to the Bijuu, and other people can't. Also, they have huge chakra reserves and almost endless stamina.'' **The Kyuubi continued. Hopefully, the kid would get his hints after long enough.

''Hey, Kyuubi-san, they sound like me! The only difference is the demon...I guess Iruka-sensei was right. They are just like normal people.'' Naruto grinned, displaying his new conclusion. Surely _now_ the Kyuubi would be impressed with him.

**''Yes, they are normal. In fact, from what I've seen, they're just...like...you.'' **he enunciated the last three words clearly, in a slighly louder tone than the words previous. Those words were considerably more important than their predecessor.

''Hey, they do sound a little like me. In fact, they sound exactly like me! Maybe that's why all the villagers hate me...'' the Kyuubi was about to congratulate the kid for finally figuring it out before...

''THEY THINK I'M A JINCHUURIKI! THAT'S RIDICULOUS! Konoha hasn't got one, I know, I asked the Ojii-san!''

''**Kid, you've got it all wrong. Konoha does have a Jinchuuriki, and frankly, I'm getting sick of you just deciding it can't and just ignoring all the facts.'' **The Kyuubi's voice was louder, almost at shouting volume, and Naruto was scared. What would he do if he angered the legendary Kyuubi No Kitsune? ''**Konoha does have a Jinchuuriki, Naruto. YOU are Konoha's Jinchuuriki.**''

The phrase was spoken with finality. Althought Naruto still couldn't quite believe him, he was willing to listen. He had heard-say that Bijuu don't lie. They might slip around answers, give answers with double meanings, say statements with confusing wording, but they never truly tell a lie. And with a statement as simple and plain as that one, Naruto couldn't quite see how there could be a lie.

''That can't be true. If I was a jinchuuriki, I would have been told. Ojii-san or Iruka-sensei would have told me...but it would explain why people keep calling me a demon...'' Naruto said out loud, but it was obvious he was only speaking to himself. He continued thinking through things...the bijuu wasn't lying, at least not directly, Naruto knew that. Naruto also knew that if this was completely true, then even the people he had trusted most had lied to him. Naruto decided to trust the Kyuubi, as he was the only one who had never lied to him so far. ''Go on then, tell me, Kyuubi-san, if I'm a jinchuuriki, what bijuu is trapped inside my body? Can you at least tell me that?''

The Kyuubi face-pawed. **''I believed that was obvious, Naruto. If I'm here...talking to you...in your head...and I'm supposed to be out there...and I was ''killed'' or otherwise indisposed, which bijuu do you think is within you, Naruto?''**

The Kyuubi was trying not to beat around the bush. He thought it was rather obvious that HE was the kids bijuu. He hadn't hidden it, he hadn't lied, and the kid was talking directly to him. Surely, it couldn't be that difficult to comprehend in a humans mind that he was-

''YOU! You're my bijuu? You're telling me, the notorious Kyuubi No Kitsune, the destroyer, is trapped in the body of a little kid! Hahahahahaha, you're so pathetic! I don't see why everyone was scared of you, Kyuubi-_san_ when you're in here.'' Naruto practically yelled, his voice bubbly.

The Kyuubi was now angry. He had attempted patience. He had attempted hinting. He had tried to be the best explainer, story-teller and creativity director he could, but there was only so much an immortal being of pure chakra and anger could take before he snapped. And Naruto was making that come closer and closer every minute he talked to him. It wasn't as if he had asked to be trapped. It wasn't as if he was trapped by any average shinobi.

''**Kid, you think this is funny? I could break you from the inside! The only reason I don't is because of the seal- if you went down, it would make sure that I'd go with you. And another thing, it's not as if I was trapped by your every day shinobi or kunoichi! I will have you know I was sealed by none other than your beloved Yondaime Hokage! No-one else was nearly good enough to even consider trapping me. So before you start getting your insults out, make sure you know who you're talking to, ok kid?'' **The Kyuubi began almost shouting. Toward the end of his explanation, his temper was waning somewhat and his voice became progressively quieter until he was back to a normal volume by his last few words.

''The Yondaime? He was the greatest Hokage ever! He was fighting you, and then you dissapeared- or at least that's what I was told. You're trying to tell me that when you vanished, you somehow appeared in my head?'' Naruto asked, confused.

''**Aye, baka, the Yondaime was a seal master. He used one of his most powerful seals to trap me within your body. More accurately, in your stomach where the seal resides. I just took up the vacany in your head- it's quite obvious you aren't the smartest if you couldn't figure out that I was your bijuu in all that time.''**

''Oh, ok, I'm not that clever, but leave me alone it isn't my fault!'' the jinchuuriki proclaimed. ''I would've figured it out if I hadn't been completely lied to before now. Anyway, I learnt that Bijuu never lie and since you told me directly, it's obvious that it's the truth. I'm not stupid enough to think that you'd lie to me. I mean, you'd have to have been sealed in me to not be dead, so it makes sense. But if you kept me in the dark this long, then it's obvious that you want something from me now, since you decided to talk.''

''**That's true kid, I do want something from you. There's and organisation called the Akatsuki. You won't have heard of them yet, but they are an organisation of S-rank missing ninja from villages all of every country. Ninja from Konoha, Suna, Kiri, and even small ex-shinobi villages like Yugakure.'' **the Kyuubi was sure he'd have Naruto's attention from the word go, but if he didn't, the mention of criminal organisations immediately got him hooked onto the tale. **''These shinobi have a goal, and that goal is to collect all nine of the bijuu. Which obviously means eventually they're going to come after us. Now, I'm strong enough to take them on, and so are some of the other bijuu, like the Hachibi. But trapped in our jinchuuriki, we don't stand as much of a chance. So I propose to you a mission. We are going to travel the world and find each and every jinchuuriki. Along the way, I will teach you the ways of the shinobi and every time we find a jinchuuriki, I will use your body to perform a jutsu-seal-transfer. This will take their bijuu from them, and make them safe from the Akatsuki.'' **

Naruto was immediately cheerful about the prospect. Being taught shinobi-arts from the strongest bijuu, and saving the lives on jinchuuriki everywhere...it sounded like the fantasmic plot of some fanfiction about some far-fetched anime story. ''What's the catch, Kyuubi, you wouldn't teach me and help the world without there being a catch.'' the kid caught on quickly.

**''You are correct, Naruto, there is a catch, and you won't like it at first. It will be a long term catch and you will have to deal with it forever. But if you can be strong, and deal with it, then you will be the saviour of every jinchuuriki in the world, and indeed the entire world itself. You have to promise me that whatever the catch, you will accept it to save everyone from the Akatsuki.''**

Naruto was on mental watch. He had always been told never to agree to something without knowing every possibly aspect- it's the way of the shinobi. But the Kyuubi hadn't lied so far, and in for a penny, in for a pound. ''Okay Kyuubi-san, I accept. Whatever the catch, even if it's my own life, I will give it up to save the entire world!'' he ended it with a bright grin and a small jump, although the water he had forgotten he had been stood in stunted the attempt at being airbourne.

**''Naruto. In order to carry this order out, the bijuu will be taken from the Jinchuuriki they belong to. Taken from their very souls, and transferred. When they have been removed they will be stored...in here with me. You will take all of the bijuu into yourself, and be the Jinchuuriki of them all. And you will gain the strength of each and every one.'' **

Naruto stood, gaping, staring at the Kyuubi with wide eyes and an even wider mouth.

''You mean...I'll be...the strongest ninja EVER?'' His voice was high pitched by the end of the statement. Kyuubi only nodded. ''Then I'm in! No regrets, I'll save everyone and be super strong with your help, believe it!'' Naruto replied. _**''Surprising...''**_ Kyuubi thought. _**''He's much more receptive than I had anticipated.**_

**''Then Naruto, come closer into your mind, there is much we must discuss.''**

And Naruto followed he Kyuubi into the depths of his mind, into places he had never been before- his subconcious...


	3. Chapter 3 Naruto Becomes a Ninja

**Chapter Three- What Now?**

''I'm going to do_ what_, you crazy demon?'' Naruto asked in disbelief. He had spent no less than five or six hours listening to the Kyuubi and every minute made him more and more doubtful that he could do it. But he would try, because he was Naruto Uzumaki and he made a promise.

**''I already told you kid, I'll dumb it down one more time. You are going to leave the village and become a missing ninja on the day you pass your exam- and you will pass your next exam. I will make sure of it. Afterwards, you will spend 10 years training in the wilderness with me. On your 17th birthday, we will stop training in the woods and begin- by this time the Akatsuki will have begun to make their plans. We will head towards Sunagakure, home of the Ichibi no Shukaku. He will be the first bijuu we will take into your mind. Then, we will train him to obey you and allow you his power whilst we make our way toward Kumogakure, home of the the Niibi no Bakeneko and then we will continue onwards in that fashion. Some bijuu don't currently have jinchuuriki, and that will make them the easiest in some ways to capture, and the most difficult in others. Just be thankful that the Hachibi has a container- otherwise you would have some trouble getting him in.''** the Kyuubi spoke all of this in a easy-going, carefree manner, as if what he was describing wasn't the most completely insane nonsense idea that any chakra-containing thing demon or otherwise had ever said.

''And why are we doing this, and what happens if we fail?'' Naruto queried in his most innocent voice- it was hard to remember he was going to have to kill a lot of people in his lifetime as a shinobi.

**''**

**''Because if we don't the Akatsuki will capture them all, then use their power to defeat me, trap me and combine us all into one all powerful being which will destroy all life on earth as we know it and turn any miracle survivors into mindless followers who will do whatever they want. And if you think this sounds very odd, that's because it is so stop asking me stupid questions.''** Kyuubi thought of himself as a patient creature, but honestly, when the kid acts so completely stupid it's hard to take him seriously. **''I know you aren't stupid, I live in your brain, so please I beg of you, try to remember all of the stuff I have told you.''**

''Okay, I've got all that but I do have one question. Why do I have to become a missing-nin? It just doesn't make sense. Surely we could leave before I'm a ninja and then I'd be able to come back to the village after it's all over, right?'' Naruto asked.

_**''The kid has a valid point,''**_ the Kyuubi thought to himself, isolating his thoughts from Naruto. _**''But this is going to crush him.''**_

**''Naruto, we could do it that way, but without a headband, and therefore without becoming a missing ninja, the seal to transfer the bijuu won't work. You need to use your headband in it and without it, the whole ordeal could be greatly jeopardised. Please don't worry, they will accept you back by the end of it anyway. They won't have any choice. Who would reject someone with that much power from joining them, at least no one sane.'' **The Kyuubi said. Naruto's face dropped- he had really thought the could do this the easy way and everyone would just let him take time off regular missions to let him do what was needed.

''I see. The next ninja exam is in a week- how will I pass? I've never come close before and I can't get that good in just one week...it's impossible!'' the blond haired shinobi-to-be was clenching his tiny fists in anticipation. He just knew that the Kyuubi was going to tell him some really cool secret that makes him really strong really fast, and means he won't have to fail the exam again.

**''Lots of hardwork.''** the bijuu deadpanned. **''Lots of hardwork, and lots of training in every subject, regular shinobi activity, taijutsu, low level genjutsu, ninjutsu, we need to get your handseals faster, I'm pretty sure you need more than just a 'Sexy Jutsu' to pass the academy, and I'm also sure that you thought this was going to be really easy, didn't you?''** by the end of his sentence, he had regained a playful lilt to his tone and dropped the more serious demeanor. In the past few hours, Naruto and the Kyuubi had come to know each other relatively well, at least when the kid wasn't bombarding him with nonsense questions.

Naruto continued thinking things over in his head. His thoughts were moving unprecedentedly fast and you could almost hear the cogs turning and the steam coming out of his ears really was nearly visible. ''You stupid fox! I thought you were some really clever awesome cool ninja fox, but no! You're just like Iruka-sensei. Haven't I told you already? I can't do that sort of thing! I've tried but all that ever happens is that people put me down, and when people put me down I lose concentration and get all depressed inside...''

The Kyuubi felt for the kid, he really did, he knew how hard he tried and he knew how he was always either ignored or criticised over the top by adults who couldn't forgive a small child for something he wasn't even aware of, especially not committed a massacre.

**''Yes, but you're going to be training in your mind with me. Anything you learn in here is going to be directly trasmitted to your body- you're going to become a ninja without having to do anything physically taxing, but mentally you will be stretched to the extreme. All the physical conditioning will be done living in the wilderness after we leave the village. So when do you want to start training?''**

''NOW! I wanna be the strongest ninja ever, and if I have to break my brain I'll do it! Shoot-away, Kyuubi-sensei!''

_Timeskip the week of training_

It was the day of the genin exams, and if all went well, the day Naruto became a ninja and subsequently a missing ninja all on the same day. The entire past week, day and night, training during his sleep with the most patiently impatient teacher possible. Kyuubi knew everything about being a shinobi, even things it didn't need to know, like how to throw kunai and shuriken. He was a fantastic teacher and always let Naruto take time to master each skill- but that didn't mean he liked the wait. Naruto remembered back to the day following his long talk with the Kyuubi, and the day he learnt everything he had to do to save the world...including abandon his village. The worst thing for Naruto though, was knowing even Ojii-san had lied to him. He thought back to the day he had confronted the Hokage just after he had learnt everything from the Kyuubi.

_FlashBack_

Naruto stormed into the Hokage office. Usually he walked, jumped and ran, but today he stormed like a man on a mission- which he was. He threw the door to the Hokage's office open, disregarding the ANBU on either side and striding straight in. Slamming the door behind him, and slamming his tiny hands on the desk, and subsequently slamming the lamp to the floor it was suffice to say there was a whole lot of slamming occuring in the Hokage Tower that day.

''My my Naruto, what has you so irked on such a fine morning?'' The Hokage said. He attempted to keep a light tone, but he could tell this discussion was going to be nothing less than torture on both sides.

''Why didn't you tell me about the Kyuubi?'' Naruto said, face straight and voice wavering in anger. His face was red and his fists were clenched so hard he was digging crescent shapes in his palms.

''I thought we did. The Yondaime confronted the demon in battle, and defeated him. When the beast was dead, his body visibly dissapeared from this plain and he passed onto the afterlife- he is in the hands of he Shinigami now.'' the Sandaime was hurt knowing he had to lie to Naruto again, but he couldn't find out the truth, it wasn't safe.

''Lies! The Kyuubi wasn't killed, I know it! If he was killed, people wouldn't call me demon. I know he isn't dead, he talked to me in my head. He told me that Yondaime couldn't kill him and in order to get rid of him, he sealed the greatest bijuu in me! I'm a jinchuuriki, and that's why people call me a demon child and that's why no-one helped me when I got poisoned by that snake. They didn't want to help the demon kid.'' Naruto barely managed to keep from screaming in the Hokage's face. He kept it level, as best he could.

_''Oh no...''_ the Sandaime thought to himself. _''The Kyuubi has already made contact with him.''_

''And I suppose the Kyuubi has told you some lie about how the village needs to be punished for our crime, and that you need to destroy it and the shinobi in it to get revenge?'' the Sandaime knew he was being obscenely callous, but he needed to know.

''No, actually he want's me to help you! He said that it wasn't you're fault that he attacked the village, and he got what he deserved. Apparently, he was being controlled on that night and would never have attacked the village otherwise. He said he was sorry, and he was sorry for all he trouble he caused me. The Kyuubi No Kitsune is a lot nicer than most villagers. And he doesn't lie to me, unlike a certain Hokage I could mention.'' Naruto ended his statement with a glare.

The Sandaime visibly shuddered when Naruto mentioned his lie. He felt dirty and unclean, as if his lie had tainted his very soul. This wasn't just some small lie, like telling a child about Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy- this was big. The village had kept a secret which could determine his entire fate from him, and didn't even think of telling him.

''I see. I apologise for being so cold hearted Naruto, but as the Hokage, my first duty is to the village and I couldn't tell you because the elders thought it would endanger us all. They have some notion that if you found out, you would go on a rampage and destroy everything. Unlikely, I know, but they outvoted me. I apologise for lying to you Naruto, but it had to be done.'' the Sandaime explained the whole thing with a sad tone in his voice.

''Don't worry Ojii-san!'' Naruto adopted his happy persona once more, although he was almost certain that that mindset was about to dissapear. ''I forgive you! I'm still going to pass the genin exams,'' truth, ''and I'm still gonna be the Hokage!'' lie. Naruto had lost his dream of becoming Hokage when he realised that he'd be becoming a missing-nin. No missing-nin had been a Hokage before. In fact, a missing-nin had never been ANY Kage before, not unless they started their own shinobi village.

And with that, he had run from the room before anyone could say anything to follow it up.

_FlashBack Over_

Naruto was now stood in line with the other academy students. Wearing dark blue ninja trousers, a black shirt, padded get sandals and a black jacket with dark orange swirls, Naruto looked very different from the last time he had taken the exam. This time, he looked like a real ninja.

''Okay guys,'' Iruka-sensei said, his voice not loud, but confident and carrying across the entire classroom easily, quieting the students. ''Today is the genin exams, and to pass you need to do he following. One henge, one clone, one ninjutsu, and you have to have you taijutsu approved in a spar. We will start with the henge, and work our way through. First up, Choji Akimichi...''

And so it went, Iruka calling out names that weren't Naruto, until suddenly, the name _was _Naruto. _''I really hope he passes this time, or he won't be able to try again...''_ Iruka thought to himself.

''Okay Naruto, one henge please.'' Iruka said, his voice never betraying his internal worry.

''One henge coming right up Iruka-sensei.'' Naruto said. Quickly flashing through some handsigns, Naruto quickly flashed out into a poof of smoke. When the smoke cleared, an exact replica of the Sandaime Hokage was stood in front of them all- shocking Iruka and all of the kids. This was the first time Naruto had attempted anything other than his Sexy Jutsu, and it had actually gone well! Perfect even!

They quickly made their way through the other students, still amazed by Naruto's apparently transformation- both figuratively and literally.

''Alright guys, lets do our clone jutsus! We'll start with Naruto, since he got the highest score on the last mini-test.'' Iruka said, immediately picking up on the scowl Naruto recieved from an angry and pitifully jealous Sasuke Uchiha.

Naruto stepped forward and crossed his fingers in a handsign Iruka hadn't seen before. ''Shadow Clone Jutsu!'' Naruto yelled, and suddenly the room had an extra five inhabitants.

Once again, Iruka was shocked beyond all belief and every kid in the room was blown away by Narutos incredible convert from being a dobe, a dead last, to better than Sasuke. Sasuke continued to attempt looking stoic, but if you looked close you could see his grimace- and Sakura looked ready to explode all over Naruto for taking Sasuke's spotlight.

''Very nice Naruto! Where did you learn the Shadow Clone Jutsu?'' Iruka asked, noting the immediate nervousness which overtook Naruto the minute the clones dispelled.

''Um...er...Ojii-san taught me it! My chakra reserves were too high for regular clones, so he taught me that one instead haha,'' Naruto chuckled out...crisis averted.

The rest of the day continued in the same vein. Naruto continued excelling in areas he had previously sucked at, and in taijutsu even managed to land a direct shot to Sasuke's face, despite the fact he was obviously slower than the Uchiha. Sakura had raged for hurting her Sasuke, but Naruto didn't care.

He was a ninja.

As he headed home, finger brushing over the leaf symbol on his new headband, he thought how much it sucked that he was going to have to put a line through the middle so quickly- it was almost as if he hadn't earned it truly.

But once you put on that headband, you're legally an adult. And Naruto was a ninja.

He headed back to his apartment, to make plans for his leaving.


	4. Chapter 4 Goodbye Konoha

**Hey guys, thanks for anyone who's already reviewed and thanks to everyone who's favourited and alerted this story. I will continue whether I get reviews or not, but I do love getting them. So if anyone wants to make my day, just sent a little review my way :D It's always appreciated. My friend James asked me if the other jinchuuriki will be in the story later, after their bijuu's have been taken. The answer is yes and no. Some of them won't, but Gaara, Yugito and Killer Bee will - I'm still not sure about the other jinchuuriki, I don' think they will. So drop me a review and let me know what you like, what you don't like - and tell me if the chapters need to be longer, I think they do.**

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Chapter Three- Farewell Konoha**

''But Hokage-sama, why would Naruto leave the village? He just became a ninja, and he can't be the Hokage if he's not even here...someone must have taken him, there's no way Naruto would just run off like this. It's just not like him- we have to send out a search party.'' Iruka said hurriedly.

Naruto had never turned up to be assigned a team and when Iruka had gone to his apartment to check if he was okay later on, he found nothing but rubbish and a cold air of silence. Looking around, Iruka discovered there was no food in any cupboards, the fridge was empty, the closet lacked clothes and even his bedrolls had been taken as well. At first Iruka had suspected villagers being overly cruel to Naruto, as usual, but upon further inspection, he had found a letter on Naruto's bedside table.

''Iruka-san, please show me Naruto's letter. It could hold the key to his whereabouts.'' Sarutobi said, his voice leaving no room for negotiation. They both knew that something big had happened, whether Naruto had been taken by some strange force, or whether he had left of his own accord.

Iruka handed him the paper without a word. Sarutobi read in silence.

_Dear Iruka-sensei, Ojii-san, and who ever else might care_

_I've decided to leave Konoha and make my own way in the world- that's right, as a missing-nin. I didn't want to leave this way, but trust me, it was the only way I could do this. I recently found out that I am the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune, and that's why I've been hated by the villagers. Upon talking to Kyuubi, I discovered he's not as bad as everyone makes out. He's a little impatient, and kind of bossy- he's trying to tell me what to write right now! But that doesn't matter. Kyuubi-san told me that there's a group of S-rank Missing Ninja called the Akatsuki out there. He won't tell me everything, but he says that in a few years they're going to start trying to collect the bijuu. I can't be in Konoha when they try and come for me- I can't bring that upon the town. So I've left Konoha and become a missing nin. I'm sure Iruka is worried, and probably you too Ojii-san, but don't be sad. Kyuubi-san told me he's going to teach me the way of the shinobi and I'll be really strong. Then I'm going to make it my mission to stop the Akatsuki- I can't let them get the bijuu. _

_So Iruka-sensei, Ojii-san, I'm sorry I had to leave without saying goodbye, but I know you would try and stop me. Hopefully we'll meet again in the future. And I'll be even stronger than the Yondaime then, believe it! _

_Goodbye,_

_Naruto._

By the end of the second reading, Iruka was in tears again. Naruto had finally done it...he'd found out about his jinchuuriki status. The thing that surprised Iruka most was his apparent conversation with the Kyuubi. What if it was the foxes fault he left? What if he was trying to lure him out to where he wouldn't be protected and then force his way out of his prison? No, that wasn't possible, bijuu never lie- if he told Naruto that he was going to train him to defend himself from the Akatsuki (whoever they were) then that's what he would do.

''Hokage-sama, what can be done? We can't put him as a missing nin! He's only been a ninja for one day.'' Iruka pleaded- he knew being a missing-nin gave a ''kill-on-sight'' marking for ANBU, and he knew some of them would take the chance to kill Naruto without a second thought.

''Iruka-san, it is the only way. He may have only been a ninja for a short time, but he is still a ninja. And when a ninja abandons their village they must become a missing-nin, whether I like it or not. I'm afraid that I don't have the control over this situation. It was a law set down by the Shodai himself...'' Sarutobi replied, as he pulled out Naruto's citizenship file. Finding the correct page, Sarutobi began filling in the details that would officially make Naruto a missing-ninja.

''But there has to be some way! He can't defend himself from ANBU and Hunter Nins and you know that!'' Iruka tried to plead.

''Iruka, I really do wish I could, but there are fundamental laws even the Hokage can't bend. I can give him a head start of a few days, but eventually the Hunters will have to go, and I can't really stop them.''

''I know...I know...I just wish there was something we could do.''

''So do I Iruka...so do I.''

_**With Naruto and the Kyuubi, around 40 miles outside Konoha.**_

''Hey Kyuubi, can we slow down now? I've been running for hours and hours, and I need to grab something to eat!'' Naruto asked

**''I suppose we're a good distance from the village now. We can make camp for the night, and I can begin your training whilst you sleep. I will begin modifying your body very slightly to allow you to go undetected by Hunter Nins and I shall increase your muscle mass slightly, to make training easier.'' **

''Aww thanks Kyuubi-sensei, you're really nice. I don't get why the villagers don't like you.'' Naruto plopped down under a large tree and began to build up a tiny fire from the surrounding twigs and small branches. Pulling out a cup of ramen, he set some water from a small stream on to boil in his kettle. Sealing scrolls were really very useful things. It took a while for the water to get hot enough to soften the noodles, but before too long Naruto was munching on some of his favourite ramen. If there was one thing he was going to really miss in Konoha aside from people, it would be Ichiraku Ramen...the cup stuff just doesn't quite compare.

**''So Naruto, tonight is the night you are a missing ninja. You have begun your journey to becoming the greatest ninja to ever walk this Earth and there's no turning back now. What do you think about it?'' **Kyuubi found himself inordinately curious about the young ninja's thoughts.

''Well, it can't be that bad. You're going to help me out, and we're going to help other people- it can't be that bad, right? I mean, as long as we don't hurt any good people then I'm okay with it.'' Naruto replied between mouthfuls of ramen.

The Kyuubi went quiet, thinking over Naruto's words before; **''Naruto, I think I should tell you something about the Ichibi no Shukaku. He's going to be the first bijuu we retrieve, and he will be three landmarks for you. One, he will be your first captured bijuu. Two, he will be the easiest to capture, due to his level of strength being below that of any other bijuu. And three, he will be the most difficult for you to mentally accomodate. He's insane Naruto, and will attempt to make you insane as well. Don't worry, I can hold him back for any time you are concious, but when you come to visit me or recieve training, he will be inevitably difficult to deal with. If you can mentally adjust to Shukaku, you will be fine with the rest of the bijuu.''**

''Hehe, I'd be really angry too if my name was Shukaku too! He's got such a funny name. I bet he'll be fun to annoy.'' was Naruto's response.

**''That's right Naruto, poke the bear with a stick and see what happens.''**

''I won't really. But anyway, I'm off to sleep so we can start training in there. I want to be the strongest ninja ever, and the quicker we start training, the quicker that can happen. So Kyuubi-sensei, teach me everything you know!''

_**Timeskip of 5 years. Naruto is now 12, and has been training with Kyuubi. He has the skills of a high level Jounin at this point.**_

''So Kyuubi, what now? I mastered the new jutsus and now I'm bored.'' Naruto asked. He had grown taller over the years, although he was still pretty short- his hair was still the same spiky blond but it came down over his nose now, due to a lack of scissors in the wilderness. Truly it should have been longer but Kyuubi had tried to keep it stunted as much as possible. They had made much use of natural resources over the years, and by now Naruto could survive off of practically nothing more than what you could find in the average bush.

**''Naruto, you have done well with all our training as of now. It's time to prove how far you've come from the dobe you were when you were 7, and capture the Shukaku. Starting tomorrow, we will be heading to Suna in Wind Country, where Shukaku resides in the current Kazekages son. Truly, we will be leaving earlier than I had expected us to- I thought we would spend a few more years out here, but honestly, you have grown a lot quicker than I had expected. The jinchuuriki is called Gaara no Sabaku, and he isn't very friendly because he was hated even more than you in your childhood. However, Shukaku's abilities prevented him from beatings.''**

''Hey Kyuubi, what is his ability then? Tell me, tell me!''

**''No, I shan't, you will discover it yourself upon meeting the Jinchuuriki. Also, I believe we need to stop you eating ramen everyday. At this rate all our fitness training will be for naught, and you will enter Suna heavier than that Choji child from the academy.''**

''HEY! Don't be mean to Choji, he was a nice guy. Either way, don't talk about ramen like that. It's blasphemy.'' Naruto huffed, face turning red.

**''Fine, if you think so, but it doesn't matter. Right now, you are going to run through drills of every single jutsu you know before you can do no more. We need to see how much chakra you have- your resources are large but still we need to have an accurate measure for going up against the Shukaku. This will be your first direct confrontation with a bijuu, and it will be stronger than any of the Hunter nins that have been sent after you in the past.''**

It was true, so far every Hunter Nin that had been sent by Konoha to capture Naruto had returned either completely dead of heavily damaged. This led to rumours around the village that Naruto had already been possessed by the Kyuubi, and was killing using it's demonic force. Iruka and the Sandaime knew it was completely ridiculous, but that didn't mean they could change the villagers minds. Even they had mild doubts- how else could a 12 year old boy kill several experienced Jounins?

Four hours later, after Naruto had finally passed out from chakra exhaustion, the Kyuubi took control to move his body back to his den which was made in the base of a large tree.

**The Next Day**

The next day, Naruto woke up feeling refreshed. His nice sleep had replenished nearly all of his chakra, and he had only run out after hours of using Jounin and above techniques, including C, B, A, and he occasional S rank ninjutsu and even some Onipou specialist Jutsu's he learnt from Kyuubi. For even elite ANBU that feat was impressive, but for someone who was essentially still a genin, it was a mindblowing achievement.

After a quick breakfast of Naruto's favourite food- ramen- they packed up camp and started east. Kyuubi had been to the Wind Country before, once or twice, and knew that if Naruto pumped chakra into his feet, he could probably reach Sunagakure in a day or two, rather than the three or four it took from Konoha. Living directly on the boarders are really handy for people who love travelling to places and hate long journeys. As Naruto ran, quickly entering the blistering desert, he repeated all of the jutsu's he knew, all of the fighting techniques from Kyuubi's own taijutsu style - Foxes Claw - and all of the facts he had ever learnt about the Ichibi No Shukaku. He knew not to provoke it, he knew not to directly threaten it and he knew not to try and fight it head on. If it came down to that, he would simply need to unleash some of Kyuubi's chakra and crush the sand demon.

Yet he still hadn't been told what his special ability was. He knew it must be impressive if the villagers hadn't been able to get Gaara, but it was as much as mystery to him as why the Akatsuki wanted to take over the planet like the plot to some 80's B-movie in the first place.

**''Kid, I have to tell you something. If you end up fighting the Shukaku, use as many Suiton jutsus as possible.''**

''Why's that Kyuubi? You told me that the Suiton Jutsu's were the weakest ones in offence.''

**''They are, to most, but against a being made of sand, they are one of the most effective choices in subduing them. Remember, you cannot kill the Shukaku, so try and get Gaara to voluntarily supress it whilst I work the seal to transfer him from Gaara's mind to my own. And remember, it will be chaos in here until I can calm him down.''**

''You've told me this a million times Kyuubi-sensei, stop repeating yourself.'' Naruto sighed heavily

**''This journey is taking too long. Let me give you some of my chakra. It will make us go even faster, and it will allow you to save your own chakra for extracting the Shukaku. The regular sealing is difficult enough, but the sealing we will do won't kill the host, which means it will be even more difficult.''**

''Fine, go ahead.'' Naruto replied.

It wasn't long before Naruto and the Kyuubi saw a large tower looming on the horizon. As they bore closer, Naruto removed the red chakra from his feet and replaced it with his own. He could sense a large chakra signature from inside Suna. It was obviously the Shukaku.

Naruto shuddered...if that was the size of chakra in the one tail, getting the eight tail would be torture. But he just thanked Kami above that he wouldn't have to seal the Kyuubi in himself- the Yondaime already did that job.


	5. Chapter 5 Naruto Does Sunagakure

**Hey guys, me again. I've been updating like a monster. Five chapters in two days... I hope to keep it at one a day, maybe every two days from now on, just to keep us plodding along at a nice gentle pace. I hate it when stories take months and months to be done and then everyone rages because they want them longer (or at least I do). This is the longest chapter so far, and I'm rather pleased with it personally for two reasons. One: I got the first major plot event done. Two: the story just broke 10,000 words. I'm pleased at this revelation. What I don't like, is kind of how I rushed it- but I can't seem to write any other way. So please, review and tell me what you think was good, what could have been done better, etcetera etcetera. Thank you guys, till next time :D ****

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Chapter Five: Naruto Does Sunagakure**

Naruto observed his surroundings as he strode confidently into Suna. The chakra signature had gotten stronger the closer he had got to the centre of the city. Naruto almost immediately recognised the Chakra as Shukaku's from the memories he recieved from Kyuubi. He knew all above the Shukaku's sand ability as well, having finally been updated by the Kyuubi about that fact. Naruto knew that it would be substantially harder subduing the Shukaku out in the open where he had access to near unlimited sand, than it would be to simply seal him away.

By nightfall, Naruto had booked himself both an appointment to see the Kazekage the next day, and a room in a hotel. When booking the meeting, Naruto was sure not to wear his Konoha headband, which would prove he was a missing-nin due to the slash through the leaf. Naruto knew the Kazekage wouldn't see things his way if he knew he had betrayed his town.

Suna was hot and dry- everything Konoha wasn't. Whilst Konoha wasn't exactly cold, it had nice cooling breezes and a rather verdant forest- Suna on the other hand was a veritable wasteland for the most point. Not a singular pond or lake for miles and miles- no forest, and only the occasional cactus grew out in the desert. Naruto knew it must be a hard life for anyone who lived in Suna, let alone a child bullied for being a Jinchuuriki. Naruto quickly dismissed the idea of going sightseeing. He didn't think it was relevant to his interests how many grains of sand where in Sunagakures desert, or how many great sand-sculptures had been made there. As fascinating as it was, Naruto couldn't see himself using the information in future.

So that left him with two choices- One, train vigorously and lose valuable chakra he would need for the coming extraction of the Ichibi or Two, go to sleep. Naruto chose option two.

_**The Next Day in Suna**_

Naruto had a rude awakening that night. Rolling out of his bed in the very early hours, slamming his head on the desk and the floor and then rolling into a cabinet causing a statuette of the first Kazekage to fall on his head wasn't a very pleasant way to wake up.

''Today's gonna suck, I just know it.'' Naruto said to himself, removing his nightcap and making his way to the small bathroom, rubbing his head.

**''If you thought that wasn't pleasant, I can't wait to see your reaction from the chakra drain that comes from sealing a Bijuu from person to person.'' **the Kyuubi practically snorted this, internally laughing heavily at Naruto's foolishness.

''It's really going to suck Kyuubi-sensei, I can already tell. I've gotta go see the Kazekage, and see if I can even get to talk to his kids first. After meeting them all, I can gauge which one is Gaara, the jinchuuriki. After that, I'll need to explain everything to him and get him to co-operate. As long as he keeps the Shukaku calm, everything will be easy.''

**''No-one can keep the Shukaku calm and that's the problem I've been trying to explain. He's the only bijuu who is truly insane in the head. He is, however, very cunning so if we can lure him to our side with promises of joining an all new legend and influencing the worlds best new ninja, he might follow. Of course, he won't truly influence you, but only false ideas of grandeur can sway the Shukaku- he has a one track mind.'' the Kyuubi said. **

''It seems as if you know quite a lot about this Shukaku fellow-demon-bijuu-thing. I guess it won't hurt having an extra tail of chakra, if I need it.'' Naruto summarised.

Hoping into the shower, Naruto quickly showered himself down and then dressed, determined to meet with the Kazekage on time in less than an hour. He knew that if he turned up late, there would be no chance of the Kazekage listening to him.

Naruto couldn't go meet the Kazekage yet, it was way too early, still 45 minutes before he could go. So he decided to check out the local hotspots- and by hotspots, he meant popular parts of the town which are popular because they are colder than everywhere else- for example, the park, which was under the shade of a few rather large specially cultivated trees.

As Naruto approached, he saw a small boy and a group of boys who looked roughly his age. The boy definately looked his age, but didn't look as big, as if something had stunted his growth rather seriously. He was shorter than Naruto, and Naruto was well known in Konoha for being one of the smallest people of his academy year. He continued walking toward he small park, and felt the chakra levels rising as the other group appeared to be yelling over to the red-haired youth. Naruto couldn't quite tell from where he was, but the boy looked to have a red mark on the left side of his forehead.

As he watched, one of the taller boys in the group threw a large rock at the boy. Naruto was just about ready to intercept before a wave of sand shot up from the gourd located on the ground near the boy, clutch the rock in an iron grip and crush. The sound of cracking was heard, and when the sand retreated into the gourd, the rock was gone.

**''Kid,''** Naruto heard the Kyuubi say in the back of his mind. **''I think we just found our Gaara no Sabaku, our jinchuuriki of the Ichibi no Shukaku.''**

''I agree Kyuubi-sensei. From what you've told me, no-one else has such fine tuned control over the sand. I must say it's surprises me though. You say the Shukaku is insane, yet I just saw him eagerly defending his jinchuuriki.''

**''I thought I told you this before? He's doing it out of self preservation, Naruto. If the jinchuuriki dies, so does the bijuu. In any normal circumstances, a bijuu can't die, but if it is sealed within a human, the souls are bound. When one dies, it drags the other to the afterlife- especially if it is a violent death. If the death is peaceful, the bijuu stands a chance of escaping just as the soul of the jinchuuriki distracts the Shinigami, although it takes a particularly clever bijuu to know just when to escape.''**

Naruto pondered this new-found information, and continued to walk toward Gaara. The other people in the park fled as they saw a person who they had never seen before approach Gaara. The last time something like this had happened, Gaara had nearly set his bijuu free in the fight that ensued.

''Ohayo, Gaara-san,'' Naruto said as he waved, approaching the still crouching boy.

''What do you want?'' Gaara asked, his voice sounding just like it contained the sand he was so well known and feared for.

''Well, I just saw you here, all on your lonesome, and I thought I'd come and talk to you. I heard some rumours you're a pretty angry guy.'' Naruto responded, not missing a beat.

''You heard right. Now go away before I'm forced to hurt you.'' Gaara snarled in Naruto's direction, but not directly at him. It was as if he was talking to anyone who might be around at the time.

Naruto sighed and pressed his fingers to his nose.

''Gaara-san, I don't want us to argue. I think I can help you, but I'll have to see you later, okay? I have a meeting with the Kazekage in 5 minutes and I don't think he'd take too kindly to me arriving late to a meeting I organised, ne?'' Naruto hefted himself up from his crouching position which he had used to get a face to face view with the Ichibi jinchuuriki.

**''I can tell this is going to be an easy one to crack. He resents the Ichibi already.'' **Kyuubi growled.

''I know...it's just perfect.'' Naruto responded as he made his way to the Kazekage tower.

**Meeting with the Kazekage**

''So, Kazekage-sama, as I just explained, I can remove the Shukaku from your son. He wouldn't be released, that wouldn't be good, but instead, I can make myself it's jinchuuriki and then Gaara will be free to live a normal life, free of the bijuu.'' Naruto finished his explanation.

''You're telling me, that you, a 12 year old boy, will remove a bijuu from my son and willing take it upon yourself, free of charge just out of the goodness of your heart? I highly doubt it.'' was his response.

''Well, how about this'' Naruto handed a scroll to the Kazekage. ''That's a summoning scroll. If ever you need me or the Shukaku's powers in battle again, then simply summon me. It will bring me back to wherever you are, and it will happen so fast it makes Hiraishin look slow.''

The Kazekage spent a few moments observing the scroll- it wouldn't do well for him to accept the scroll and then find at a later date that it wasn't geniune. No, the Kazekage wasn't stupid enough to fall for that. After 10 minutes, and summoning his greatest seal master to observe and verify, the Kazekage came upon a conclusion.

''Naruto-san, I find your proposition highly agreeable. If you do this for us, we will be forever in your debt, and the promise of taking the bijuu away from us and still aiding us in battle is just too perfect an opportunity to pass up. We accept your offer. Stay the night, have dinner with us, and later when Gaara is alone, you can perform your ritual.''

Naruto simply nodded.

Later that evening, after dinner (which Gaara had chosen to eat in solitude locked in his room), Naruto thanked the Kazekage for his hospitality, and asked if he could procure some rations and some equipment for his journey.

''Kazekage-sama, this ritual I am going to perform is highly draining. Afterwards, I will have to sleep deep into the next day and then set off immediately. I have to return to my parents in Konoha.'' Naruto said, lying through his teeth. Konoha was once his home, but no longer. ''Would you be so kind as to arrange for me some ramen cups, and some kunai-shuriken sets which I could use to defend myself on the way back? I came alone, and it's a treacherous journey at the best of times.''

Waiting for the Kazekage's nod, Naruto shuffled with his headband in his pocket. Upon the small sign of approval, Naruto rose to his feet. ''Thank you Kazekage-sama, I shall go and extract the Shukaku now. It will take a few hours, but after, Gaara will be a completely normal shinobi boy of 12.''

_**In Gaara's room**_

Naruto knocked before opening the door and walking in. The moment he entered, the sand began to flow out of the gourd located near the door and immediately curled in vast swathes around Gaara, who was sat in silence on his bed reading.

''Gaara-san, it's me, Naruto, from the park.''

''Yes, Naruto, I remember you. You were the one who lied and said he could help me.'' Gaara spat venomously.

''No, I can help you. That's why I'm here- the meeting with the Kazekage was arranged to allow me to help you. I understand you know you are a jinchuuriki.'' judging by the blank look on Gaara's face, Naruto was right.

''I'm a jinchuuriki too- but don't tell anyone. I'm the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune, and you are the jinchuuriki of the Ichibi no Shukaku. Bijuu are of varying strengths, which can be judged by simply measuring the number of tails. I'm sure you can use that knowledge to conclude that my tenant is more powerful than yours.''

Gaara's sand instantly began to swirl faster and faster, a hint of anger and also a slight hint of fear running through Gaara's eyes.

''A creature with more chakra than my Shukaku? Impossible, you lie. Shukaku told me he was the most powerful of the bijuu.'' Gaara responded, a slight hint of agitation the only indication to the turn his mood was taking.

''No, Shukaku is the only bijuu known to lie. However Gaara-san, if you would be willing to help me out by co-operating, we could remove the Shukaku from you. It would be easy for you, just relax and try not to panic and we can have him out of there before you even know it.''

''Really?'' Gaara's voice shook with barely contained happiness. Naruto nodded in response. Gaara commanded his sand to back down into it's gourd once again, and lay down on his bed. ''Do it, Naruto-san. I want to be free of this demon.''

Naruto shuffled forward, and removed his Konoha headband from his pocket. Slicing his finger open on a kunai, he leant over the headband and allowed a small amount of blood to flow into the pattern on Gaara's headband. He then had Gaara bite the inside of his mouth, so he could get some blood from him. Naruto knew it was useless to try and attempt to get blood from Gaara externally because of his Armor of Sand, but he knew that it would work that way. Allowing Gaara's blood to flow into the lines of his Konoha headband, he began using excess blood on his kunai to draw a set of symbols around his own stomach, and another set on Gaara's.

Gaara's face was scrunched in concentration- it was taking every bit of willpower he possessed to prevent the Shukaku from bursting out and killing Naruto, and if he wavered for even a second it would be the end.

Raising his kunai, Naruto finished the final set of symbols. Willing chakra from his hands, he held them over Gaara's stomach and began chanting a strange set of words, whilst flashing through handseals as fast as he could manage them without messing up. It took a good five minutes for every handseal to be performed, but by the end, Gaara could feel the power from them taking effect.

In a thunderous voice, Naruto yelled out ''**Fuuinjutsu: Akuma no tens****ō****! (Sealing Technique: Transfer of the Devil)'' **and a flash of light followed by a thick smog filled the room. Gaara could feel an intense squirming sensation in his chest, working it's way down to his stomach and struggling to stay where it was. But it didn't matter, the seal was too strong, and after a struggle which lasted around 15 minutes, and drained all of Naruto's natural chakra and began to draw on Kyuubi's, a whitish-yellow stream of chakra emerged from the centre of Gaara's navel, surrounded by seals. The flow was interspersed with flashes of purple and blue, the only remnents of the previous seal meant to hold the Shukaku in. The flow took only a minute or so, and all of the highly concentrated chakra had left Gaara's body and filtered in through Naruto's own seal.

Gaara relaxed, and opened his eyes. For the first time, he had truly felt free. His head no longer racked from the roars of an angry bijuu, and his mind was no longer cluttered with thoughts of murder and vengeance upon everyone who sealed him and looked badly upon him. For the first time, Gaara felt life without a bijuu. When he looked upon the form of Naruto, he saw an unconcious boy of his own age, with his stomach exposed, still covered in seals, mouth agape and snoring heavily. He looked so peaceful.

Gaara allowed himself to follow Naruto into dream land, peacefully drifting off- the tiredness he had accumulated over the past few years bearing down upon him with it's full weight. The two looked so peaceful, but inside of Naruto's mind, it was anything but.

**''GODDAMMIT KYUUBI, WHAT FUCKING MESS HAVE YOU GOTTEN ME INTO NOW, YOU FLEABITTEN SACK OF SHIT!''**


	6. 6:Meeting the Shukaku and new allies!

**Hi there once again. This chapter has the honour of being the longest one yet. The last two chapters were shorter, but this one is the first to break over 3100 words, which is a great landmark for me. I honestly have trouble making long chapters because I tend to lose creativity, and I hate it when chapters and stories descend into cliches which occur in nearly every other fanfiction. I like to think I've got a pretty unique plotline here, so it's something I'm quite proud of. Ironically, I came up with the idea whilst making ramen. More irony- England has a newspaper called ''The Sun''...as if we get any. The advantages of eating origami, or two-fold (to fold.) hehe...**

**Anyway, enough Tim Vine jokes. I just wanted to make note that this is a power-Naruto fic, he will be getting very strong and using some rare releases (lava, boil, crystal) due to the unique chakras that will be bestowed upon him for containing all of the tailed beasts (by the end). He will be unlocking these releases as he aquires bijuu which use them. For example, he now has the Shukaku (earth, ground, sand, dust) which will allow him to use dust releases, and by the time he combines it with the Kyuubi, it will combine and make lava releases- see where I'm coming from? Anyway guys, thanks for reading this, and remember to review. Without further ado, let the chapter begin!**

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_**Chapter Six; Meeting the Shukaku**_

As Naruto walked deeper through his mindscape, once again resenting the waterlogged tunnels, he couldn't block out the sounds of frantic screaming. As he drew closer to the area he knew the Kyuubi resided, he felt a second, more volatile knew it belonged to the Shukaku, and he knew it was the source of his current migraine. The sounds of yelling and frantic running was echoing in his ears and he knew he'd have to shut it up soon lest he risk an embarassing death through mind-eruption.

He passed through tthe doorway, the water now reducing and eventually began to walk on solid ground. Continuing forward, he found that now, the Kyuubi wasn't the only intimidating thing in his mindscape. There stood a giant quadripedal raccoon-type creature, ranting and raving, roaring it's anguish and smashing everything it could find with it's long thick tail. _''That'll be the cause of the migraine.''_ was Naruto's only offhanded flippant thought.

''HEY! YOU! Stop smashing things! It's not very pleasant for me.'' Naruto yelled, waving his arms desperately to catch the Shukaku's attention. It appeared to work. The sand-raccoon spun around, facing Naruto with a deep snarl set upon his face. Bearing forward, Naruto knew he would have to act quickly. ''No! Shukaku, I have something to offer you that I think you would be interested in!''

**''What do you know, midget? You'll probably think I want some candy or a nice new ball. Fuck off, and bring me whoever had enough chakra to seal a bijuu!'' **was the response he garnered from amidst the Shukaku's nearly unintelligeble growling.

''I am the one who sealed you! Kyuubi-sensei taught me the technique. I'm not here to offer you candy, Shukaku. I'm here to offer you a place in my legend.'' this appeared to pique the interest of the Shukaku so Naruto continued before it's attention could wander again. ''Never before has there been a jinchuuriki of two completely seperate bijuu. We're already unique and worthy of legend for that reason- you are one of the first to reside in a dual jinchuuriki. But if you can help me, lend me your chakra, I intent to seal all of the bijuu within me. If we can do that, Shukaku, you will be mentioned with great detail in poems and stories that describe our legend. You could become one of the most incredible stories of all time. Please Shukaku, see fit to lend me your strength.''

The snarl dissapeared and was replaced with a small smirk. **''So you need my chakra, eh? You need my power?'' **he smirked further noting Naruto's small nod. **''And I'll be famous and everyone on the entire earth will know and love me. I won't be hated, but instead respected, and my power will be reknowned happily...'' **the Shukaku noted Naruto's head hadn't stopped bobbing, nodding at every word he said whether it was relevant or not.

**''Okay.''** Naruto was nearly shocked out of his skin. Kyuubi had told him it would be easy when he played upon the Shukaku's thirst for recognition and power, but he didn't think there would be virtually no arguement involved. In fact, Naruto had been prepared for a mental struggle of a magnitude which would erase his migraine and replace it was an orchestra armed with brass pots, tin cans and a whole managerie of completely random metallic objects. What he certainly was not expecting, was an outright agreement.

'Is that it? Are you sure?'' Naruto asked. He recieved a nod and a loud roar which hurt his head even more- there comes that orchestra again.

**''I'm definately sure. I can tell that you will have lots of conflict in your future, and I love a good fight. Nothing beats a fucking good scrap and the dying looks on the faces of your fallen enemies.''** Naruto's mouth was wide open. Kyuubi had told him Shukaku was insane, but not batshit crazy.

''You really are nuts.''

**''Not crazy, just filled with bloodlust.''** the Kyuubi began. **''We bijuu are made from the sins of the shinobi and kunoichi that reside within the hidden villages. Shukaku here is made of the pure bloodlust and insanity that battle brings to the world. It's not his fault he is like this any more than it is my fault that I am cunning and filled with hate, or any other bijuu.'' **

**''And Kid, get a fucking gourd. How can I control sand for you with my power when there isn't any. I can tell you don't fucking wanna stay in this shit-pit, and nor do I. So get a gourd, fill it with sand and we can get out of the pathetic village known as Sunagakure!''**

Before Naruto could respond, he was jerked out of his mind. His body hit the floor hard as he rolled out of the chair, his eyes raising to observe Gaara. He may have never slept because of the Shukaku, but it was obvious now that he would have slept little anyway. He was awake on his bed, reading the same book he had been reading the night before.

''You were making all kinds of interesting noises whilst you slept. You growled at me when I moved closer, and then swore a few times. I'm pretty sure I heard the words ''Please Shukaku, see fit to lend me your strength.'' Gaara said in his rough monotone.

Naruto immediately shot up from the ground, and took his place in his chair as before. He refused to allow Gaara to carry misconceptions about his future actions. He may need to be secretive, but there was no need to allow someone he already considered his friend to think ill of him.

**''Tell him kid.'' **the Kyuubi echoed in his head. **''Yeah, tell the little fucker- he was a nice host!'' ** the Shukaku yelled, once again bringing Naruto's previous migraine back up from the depths it had ran to during his mental conversation with Kyuubi and Shukaku. Naruto shook his head at Shukaku's callous nature.

_''I can already see why he was so eager to get rid of you, you act like someone shoved sand up your -''_ Naruto's train of thought was cut off by a Shukaku roar and a dark glare from Gaara.

''Well, tell me. Tell me, or I won't allow you to leave Sunagakure no Sato ever again.

''Okay Gaara-san, I'll explain. I was a ninja from Konohagakure, but the day I got my headband, I became a missing nin. That's because just like you were until yesterday, I was a jinchuuriki. The jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune, as I told you yesterday. He told me about some thing that will happen in the future. He told me that a group called the Akatsuki will hunt down all of the tailed beasts and seal them. Their goal is to collect their power and use it to destroy the world. In order to avoid that, he said I have to make it my goal to collect all of the bijuu and keep them safe from the Akatsuki- which is why I came here and collected the Shukaku. The downside is that it places the tailed beast within me, so now I am the worlds first jinchuuriki to hold dual bijuu, the Ichibi no Shukaku and the Kyuubi no Kitsune.'' Naruto noted the stunned look on Gaara's face. ''The only downside is, this means that if the Akatsuki capture me, they can get a lot of their targets at once- so I can't allow that to happen. This means I have to train and perfect the shinobi arts under the tutalige of the bijuu. This grants me perfect control over both my chakra and their chakra, and lets me use it in conjuction with my own energy. With the energy of two bijuu, there is not much that could take me out- but the Akatsuki is made up of nothing less than S-rank ninja. So I must collect them all and become the most powerful ninja of all time within the next five years- or else the Akatsuki will take them instead and use them to take over the world and remove everyones free will. Any questions?''

Gaara looked shell-shocked. Naruto could tell that the sand-nin was working over everything in his head, running through all the possibilities and seeing if the information was plausable. Gaara was indeed very curious and had many questions to ask Naruto, but those could wait until another time.

''Any questions? Hai Naruto-sama,'' Naruto started at the honorific, but decided to leave it till later. Gaara spotted his curiosity. ''I call you sama because I believe your power deserves the title, and if you are truly tasked with what you say you are, then you deserve the honour. I do have one question.'' Naruto prepared for an insult, question upon his motives, or a request to deny Naruto exit from Sunagakure, but what Gaara said next truly surprised the Kyuubi-vessel.

''Can I join you on your journey?'' Gaara asked.

Of all of the things Naruto had not expected from the young sand-nin, this was one of them. Join him? In his task to defeat an organisation of the most powerful missing-nins alive today, and leave his village for someone he had only known very briefly.

''Gaara-san, I'm not sure you quite know what this entails. You would have to leave your village and probably never return. You would have to leave everything you know and love behind and you would never see it again. We would always be travelling, and it's not often we stop in a village so full meals are very rare. It's not common to have more than just some spitroasted meat from an animal which I've caught. We sleep rough and train from sun up till sun down. I even train in my head, whilst we sleep. The only time I wouldn't be training is when we would be on the move.''

''I don't care, Naruto. There is nothing here I love. I appreciate my father for homing me, and I appreciate my brother Kankuro and sister Temari for being kind to me, but I do not love them. And I could travel roughly too. I'm sure I could adjust to it, in exactly the same way you must have done.''

''Fine. You can come with us, it should be nice for some companionship outside of the bastard-fox and now the violent-sand-fucker. I have one condition though.'' Gaara's eyebrow rose- he hadn't been expecting this. ''You have to give me your gourd. I need one, or I can't use the Shukaku's power properly, you know that! So I need it, and if you want to come, you'll let me use it. Pleeeeaaaaaaseee Gaara? Pleaaase? Pretty please with ramen on t-'' ''Okay, Naruto-sama, you can have my gourd. I shall teach you my techniques on our travels. Where will we be headed next?''.

Naruto pondered on this for a short while. He wasn't really sure where the Niibi no Bakeneko was, except that it definately wasn't in Suna. _''Hey Kyuubi, do you know where the Niibi is?'' _he asked his original bijuu.

**''Hai Naruto, the Niibi resides in Kumogakure, trapped within a girl called Yugito Nii. She is treated well by her jinchuuriki and they are friends, if reluctant friends. I believe we should skip the Niibi for now, as it will be difficult to convince the girl to part with her bijuu. We should attempt to seal the Sanbi no Kyodaigame, the Three Tailed Turtle. He is currently without a jinchuuriki, and in his wild state his mind will be addled- it shan't be too difficult to capture him and absorb his power. However, as with most turtles and tortoise-like creatures, once he has bonded with a human and regains his mind, he shall be a loyal and wise advisor with great power. Even by me, the intelligence and wisdom of the Sanbi is honoured.''**

''Gaara-san, I just had a talk with Kyuubi. He said it isn't wise to go after the Niibi no Bakeneko yet, apparently she is friends with her jinchuuriki and therefore it would take a while to convince her to allow me to relieve it from here. Remember, we aren't taking the bijuu, we are relieving the jinchuuriki with them- they have to make the choice to give me the bijuu themselves. We have to keep everything fair or we're no better than the Akatsuki. The Sanbi no Kyodaigame has no jinchuuriki, and it's the next up from the Niibi, therefore it would be the most logical choice.'' Gaara just nodded as if he knew all along. His facial expression remained unchanged throughout the whole incident. From the instigation of the explanation, right through to being accepted into Naruto's companionship, his face was as stone- unchanging and stoic.

Gaara took a step forward, and leaned over his bedside cabinet. Withdrawing his Sunagakure headband and a kunai, he set them along with a small box on his lap.

''Hey Gaara, what's that?'' Naruto asked curiously.

''Think Naruto-sama. If I am to become a missing nin, as you are, my headband needs some...modification. The box contains the only thing which is special to me, and the only thing I shall take with me in manners of luxury- don't think it will take up too much room, it easily fits within my storage scroll. I will need training in taijutsu, up until this day, the sand of Shukaku has protected me from all possible threats and I had no need to learn the art of taijutsu.''

Naruto nodded, and watched with fascination as Gaara laid his Sunagakure headband across his lap and take the tip of the kunai and run it harshly from one side to the other, cutting directly through the middle and signifying him as a missing-nin. Absolutely no turning back now.

''Gaara, you need to pack up everything you want to take now. I recommend food, water, weaponry and a change of clothes. Put it all in some storage scrolls, and put those in your gourd. You can wear it whilst we leave- if you keep them in the gourd, nothing will look unusual. Tell your father that you are watching me go because you wanted to thank me again- when we meet up at the edge of the village, we can leave and we won't come back. I'm only offering you this one chance to turn back. You can come with me or go your seperate way, but you are now a Sunagakure missing ninja.''

''Hai Naruto-sama. I will travel with you permanantly, stop trying to get rid of me- it's almost as if you don't want me there. Do you think I will get in the way?''

''No Gaara, it's just...I've travelled alone for five years- this whole prospect of travelling with another human is daunting. Today I have doubled the amount of beings who travel with me. But I'm glad you're coming Gaara, you seem like a fantastic person- you've just been treated roughly. As long as you're loyal and a good battle companion, then I'm more than happy to take you along with me.''

Gaara nodded again, and turned around. Pulling out four small scrolls, Gaara began sealing items of clothing and weaponry within them. Naruto took this as his cue to leave, and decided to go talk to the Kazekage once again.

_**Naruto with the Kazekage**_

''Ahh Naruto-san, I trust the extraction was a success?'' the Kazekage had a light smirk on his face, and he looked pleased with Naruto.

''Hai Kazekage-sama. If it had failed, I would not be alive right now.'' Naruto replied, pulling up his shirt to expose the seal on his stomach which now contained a thin black ring in the centre around the swirl which wasn't there before. ''This is where the Shukaku is sealed. He was fighting for escape at first, but once I decided to stop humouring him, he quickly shut up.'' _''Please don't kill me Shukaku, I had to lie.''_

**''Yeah, well you better not do it again or I'll crush you.'' **was the snorted reply.

**''Calm it Shukaku, Naruto doesn't need a headache now- he has important things to be doing.''** the Kyuubi quickly reprimanded Shukaku, and lay down on his half of the mindscape, stretching out his tails.

''Very good Naruto-san. I secured the items you requested, there is food and weaponry in the scrolls on my left, and the miscellaneous other items you requested on my right. I trust you will be leaving my village later, but I will be sure to inform my citizens that Gaara is no longer a jinchuuriki, and that his treatment is to be immediately improved.'' The Kazekage said, looking smug. It wasn't everyday a powerful blonde 12 year old turned up in your village and removed the soul of a chakra demon from within your redheaded, tattooed 12 year old son free of charge.

''Kazekage-sama, Gaara-san requested that he be available to watch me off later today. I guess he wants to thank me for helping him- he looked very happy when he woke up this morning.'' the Kazekage started in his seat. Woke up suggested that Gaara slept, which was an unprecendented event in Sunagakure.

''I shall arrange that his studies be put off until a later date, it wouldn't do for him to be unable to say goodbye to his saviour, and indeed, the saviour of the village of Sunagakure.''

''Thank you Kazekage-sama, I shall be leaving now. I hope you and your village prosper, goodbye.'' and with that, Naruto swiftly made his way out of the Kazekage office faster than you could say ''Hey kid, thanks for everything.''


	7. Chapter7: Naru'n'Gaara in Water Country

_**Chapter Seven: Naruto and Gaara head to Water Country.**_

Naruto was stood at the edge of Suna, waiting for Gaara. In Gaara's defense, it wasn't as if it had been long- Naruto had turned up early and was now regretting it- he was impatient at the best of times, but now when he had a world to save, he was even more impatient than usual. Knowing there was a new bijuu for him to capture excited him, as did the prospect of learning how to manage his newfound sand powers accurately. He didn't think it would work out very well if he were to have two bijuu and only use one of them: the other would invariably grow jealous of the one who was utilised and resent Naruto- something he never wanted to happen.

He looked back toward the city. It held many firsts for him. His first companion, his first sealing, his first meeting with a foreign Kage, his first stay in a hotel, his first meeting with another jinchuuriki, and perhaps the most important- his first new bijuu. It didn't take long for Naruto to see a head of red hair, carrying a gourd appear of the horizon. As the figure got closer, he noted that the gourd was connected to a vest which seemed to have plenty of straps and buckles all along every visible part of Gaara's body.

Holding his arm up high, Naruto decided to greet Gaara. ''Hey Gaara! Over here! I've been waiting for you for ages, I thought you'd never show.''

''Forgive me Naruto-sama, I shall never be late to one of our meetings again.'' Gaara bowed his head in obvious dissapointment.

''Gaara, Gaara, I was only joking you should relax every now and again. I reckon that without Shukaku messing with your head, you'll be a really chill kind of guy.'' was Naruto's thought.

''I doubt it Naruto-sama, I'm a very wary person by nature and I doubt I could relax completely around anyone except you.'' Gaara spoke, his tone betraying his reverence.

''Ahh, I guess that's okay Gaara, we'll get along just fine as long as you don't decided to bring anyone else along for the journey. I can't really believe that you're coming still- I had planned to be alone the entire time. It'll be nice to have a brother-in-arms to hang around with and help me out.'' Naruto returned to his relaxed form of doing things. He was a rather solitary person due to his many years of loneliness, but before he left the village he was rather upbeat- he hoped he could become like that again, if only to provide Gaara with a proper friend, not some half-assed attempt.

''I promise Naruto-sama, I shall not bring another person along on this trip if you wish it to be us alone.''

''Gaara, please stop calling me sama. It makes me feel like an old man, and I've heard it so many times today I think I might puke. Naruto-sama this, and Kazekage-sama that. It's too much for my un-noble mind to take.'' Naruto said, shaking his head and laughing slightly toward the end of his statement.

''Okay...Naruto. I have a question about our next course of action. Of course, we are heading for the Sanbi no Kyodaigame next, but it is rather obvious that we do not know where it is. All I can gather is that it will be in a body of water somewhere, so I can hazard a guess toward Water Country.'' Gaara reasoned.

**''Hai Naruto, Kyodaigame-san is in the Water Country. He is in a large lake, nearly the size of a small ocean south of Kirigakure. We must hurry, however- the Akatsuki are planning to take him first due to his lack of a jinchuuriki, and are planning to get him out of the way soon- we don't know when they will begin, but they will start there I am sure. We must cut them off.'' **the Kyuubi said, his voice almost urgent.

''The Kyuubi says you're right Gaara, he is just south of Kiri. He also says that whilst the Akatsuki will not begin their plans in the nearby future, he says that when they do, the Sanbi will be the first one they go for.'' Naruto said.

At this point, Naruto and Gaara had been travelling nearly half an hour away from Sunagakure. The Kazekage was beginning to wonder why Gaara was taking so long, and why he had insisted that he say farewell to the boy called Naruto alone. _''Oh Well...'' _he thought. _''Without the Shukaku, he won't get very far. He will have to return to us in a few days.'' _was his only thought. And people wondered by Gaara hated his father.

_**Meanwhile in Konoha**_

Iruka was worried sick. He had expected Naruto to be playing a prank and return to the hidden village in a week or so at max, but now that Naruto had been gone for years without any sign of return, or any note/message, Iruka was scared he had been killed or had become starved from his lack of wildlife skills. He was about to head to the academy again when a small note was slipped under his door by a small hand, which then poofed out of existance like a shadow clone. He walked toward the door and picked up the note.

_Iruka-sensei! I sent a shadow clone to deliver this, I just wanted to clear up a few things I'm sure you're curious of._

_No, I won't be coming back- at least not for another five years or so. I have many things to do in order to complete my missions. I sent this with my clone whilst I was in Sunagakure- but don't think I've been there a lot- oh no. I spent two days in Suna, and then left again. If you hear anything about a new Sunagakure missing-ninja called Gaara (you might have seen him at the Chuunin exams), that's because I took him with me. I need a bro out here. I wanted to let you know I was okay, and that I've manage to protect myself well. The Kyuubi has given my training in the Shinobi arts, and I must be at least as good as that guy Kakashi you were yelling at- I think he was a Jonin, right? Anyway, goodbye, and I will see you again in future._

_Love, Naruto!_

Iruka's heavy tears dropped onto the paper, causing small smudges in the ink. He ran to the Hokage.

_**Two Weeks Later, with Naruto and Gaara**_

Naruto and Gaara entered the Water Country. It hadn't taken long for Naruto to get the the border carrying Gaara (who had greatly protested but reluctantly relaxed into the position) but they had camped out for a while in Wind Country, training.

Gaara was a fast learning, almost instantly taking to taijutsu. He used a personalised style which involved large bursts of chakra as blades on his hands and feet. The clever thing was that Gaara made the chakra clear, which made it impossible to predict how far the beam of chakra was without either the Sharingan or the Byakugan _***AN: At this point, Naruto nor Gaara know about Rinnegan***_which was quickly acknowledged by Naruto as one of the most clever ideas he'd ever seen. The style included flowing circular movements and evasive techniques.

Naruto, on the other hand, had been training with his sand. Naruto found that the sand was hundreds of times easier to use when used with Shukaku's chakra, and he was using it on such a regular basis that his fluency with the sand attacks was nearly that of Gaara's when he had the sand control. He had also began work on his new jutsu's which combined both the katon jutsu's he used in Konoha and the new doton jutsu's he was learning from the Shukaku. He found that learning jutsu's was a lot of easier, when he had the bijuu simple funnell the information through into him. He still had to build up the control to use them, but he didn't have to learn everything about them..

However, when combined he discovered they created Yoton jutsu's, Lava releases which had great destructive and defensive capabilities, but required a great deal of concentration. Also, he had to figure out all the new jutsu's on his own- Shukaku and Kyuubi had never worked together before, and he had no scrolls on the subject which meant there was no way for him to fast track his knowledge. It was almost as if he had to invent each jutsu newly, which he did. Unbeknownst to Naruto, his work had unlocked two brand new yoton releases which had previously never been seen before- these being Yoton: Magma Lances which involved long spears of magma which continually smashed into the victim as long as Naruto supplied chakra- he could currently keep Gaara on the evasive for 10 minutes without needing to tap into Shukaku, which could fuel him for a further 15 minutes. The second technique he invented was Yoton: Swirling Ball of Magma in which a ball of superheated rock materialised in his hand and the hottest rock in the centre kept pushing to the top, keeping the exterior hot. It melted through things on impact and didn't leave until Naruto desired (like a awesome, not exploding magma rasengan.)

On the 9th day of their camp, they were ambushed by bandits. It hadn't taken long for Naruto and Gaara to defeat them, but it was a nice way to keep their skills sharp. The bandits had been weak and unorganised, and the perfect moving targets to test their new attacks on. Gaara had moved quickly, using his new style of taijutsu to create small but serious wounds in major arteries and veins along the bandits legs, necks and arms which made them quickly bleed out. He had proceeded to bury them in a mountain of sand, and ability Gaara had retained from his tenure with the Shukaku- admittedly his skills weren't quite as sharp anymore. Naruto used the opportunity to use a lava release in regular combat. Summing up his chakra, and giving a loud cry of **''Yoton: Swirling Magma Ball Jutsu!'' **he had thrust the ball into one of the shinobi's chests, melting a large hole completely through it and thrusting the arm into the wound, the ball impacting and exploding upon the shinobi behind the original target. Naruto was pleased with the power of the jutsu, but decided to save its destructive power for a last resort, as it drained a great deal of chakra once it was expelled. He had speared another bandit wih his Magma Lances, and eliminated the final threat.

After that, it hadn't taken long for them to decide to move on into Water Country, and begin making their way to the lake near Kirigakure. Gaara had suggested they take kenjutsu lessons from the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, but Naruto rejected that idea- it had taken them a long time to enter Water Country, and they couldn't delay capturing the Sanbi for any longer, lest they lose him to the Akatsuki. Kyuubi had assured them it had not been taken by the renegade ninja yet. They had yet to encounter any failed shinobi and Naruto had swapped out his recognisable orange jumpsuit for a darker outfit with heavy protective materials and small sheets of armor in important places, such as over his chest, his shoulders, knees, hands and he had wrapped thick bandages around his neck to prevent lesser weaponry such as senbon from getting access.

Aside from vastly improving their combat skills, both as a team and against each other, Naruto and Gaara had discovered a friendly brotherhood. Gaara greatly respected Naruto for saving him from Shukaku, and allowing him to travel with him despite the fact that it was against his plans. Naruto was trying to get him to loosen up even more, and become more open- yet Gaara had openly told Naruto that he would resent almost anyone else, and would not deal with other people with mercy.

''But Gaaaaarrraaaaaaaa! What about the other Jinchuuriki? You have to put up with them! They might not be staying with us, but we have to stay with them for a while! Hahahaha, people-hating-Gaara! You're like a big ogre who eats people and..'' Naruto would continue in this vein every time the subject would come up, and then quickly divert it to something else the moment he was the hidden bloodlust begin to reawaken in Gaara's eyes.

Naruto also took to wearing a cloth over the lower half of his face (like Kakashi) he had told Gaara it was to protect him from all kinds of weapony that could be floating in the air. The blond haired dual-jinchuuriki also had grown slightly over his back. Carrying the gourd all day had improved his muscle mass very slightly due to the long walks he had been doing with an extra 40Ibs of weight on him at all times. He wondered how Gaara had maintained such a lithe figure without becoming a muscle man with such a weight.

They were currently on course for Kirigakure, when Gaara turned to Naruto. ''Naruto, what are your thoughts on...same sex relationships?'' Gaara asked. He quickly diverted his gaze back to the road ahead. He dismissed his nervous voice, and took on his previous monotone. ''Purely hypothetically, of course.''

Naruto thought for a moment. ''I'd say it's fine if you're gay Gaara, wave that rainbow flag! Just don't try and come onto me, mmkay?'' was his response, much to Gaara's chagrin.

Once Gaara had finished spluttering, he replied to Naruto. ''How did you know it was me? I thought my cover was airtight!'' he said, slightly exasperated.

''Once someone gets to know you real well, like I have, you're actually not that difficult to read. Whenever you talk about anything personal, you momentarily bring up your monotonous moniker again. I don't like it, stop doing that.''

''Hai, Naruto.'' Gaara answered, and then once again been silent. If he was still living in Suna, he knew he would probably have to take part in arranged marriage somewhere along the line, to secure a place in alliance for his father the Kazekage. He also knew the likelyhood was that he would be paired with a female so that he could sire offspring- something he had no wish to do. Now that he was a free man, the problem was less in having obligation to marry a female, and more in the fact it was very unlikely for him to ever meet someone who would be staying with them long-term. Gaara had no qualms with this. He didn't need a romance, he needed support and a strong friendship- both things Naruto easily provided for him.

On their fourth day in Wind Country, they came across a behemoth lake. Neither could see the end of the vast swathe of water for miles in either direcion, and it seemed to stretch beyond the horizon into the distance. They knew this would be the location of the Sanbi. It was the sole largest lake either of them had ever seen, and there was a powerful chakra energy within.

**''Hai, Naruto, that is indeed the home of Kyodaigame-sama. He is a rather brute creature when free, but a valuable companion in strategy and deciding on the best course of action once he has gained conciousness.''** the Kyuubi spoke to him.

**''Yeah Naru! He's a really fucking boring old fart. He likes reading a lot, and he knows facts!'' **the Shukaku said it as if it were a dirty word, spat out of his mouth. Quickly dismissing both from his mind, Naruto moved forward over the lake. He knew this would be a huge battle.

**''Naruto,'' **the Kyuubi spoke up once more. **''I know I didn't teach you many raiton jutsu's- I don't know many. But try and use those you know here. They will be most effective for decommisioning Kyodaigame-sama. Once you have taken him down, use the second seal.'' **

''Hai. Gaara, this definately the place. We need to lure him out before we can fight him and seal him. This will be your first job for me, and ironically, probably the most dangerous you will have. Pulse chakra deep into the lake if you can.'' Gaara nodded.

The red headed ex-jinchuuriki sat crosslegged on the ground, eyes closed, brows furrowed in concentration and hands on the ground either side of him. Naruto could practically feel the intense wave of chakra he pulsed into the earth, and the second and third each stronger than the last.

After a few more pulses, each of increasing strength, the surface of the lake began to shudder. At first it was soft, small ripples echoing out from the focal point in the centre of the lake. The ripples slowly got larger as they gave way to powerful waves, slapping hard against the ground around the lake, and sending cold water in waves up Naruto, soaking the bandages across his face and neck. Then, eventually, the water buldged and a huge being emerged.

A solid spiked maw rose first, it's giant, vice-like face being twice the size of a tall man. It's body was thick and fat, covered in strong protective plates of what looked almost like steel, and last to emerge were the three giant, shrimp like tails. Naruto and Gaara were in awe- but the awe quickly turned to fear when the bright eye visible locked onto them and turned in their direction. Slowly, the entire form of the Sanbi no Kyodaigame turned towards them and offered a roar of anger, and a battle cry which shook them to the core. Now that they had a great view, they could see the plates where indeed made of some corrosion resistant, rust repelling metalloid. The eyes glowed and seemingly stared into their souls. Opening its mouth, the Sanbi gathered some of its chakra into a large ball which covered the front of his face from view.

Naruto and Gaara gulped...this was going to be tough.


	8. Chapter8: Sanbi no Kyodaigame

**Hey guys, a brand spanking new update for your guys. Fun fact- I upload every chapter mere minutes after I have finished writing them, so you literally could not get these any quicker from me. This was one of my quicker chapters to write, and I really enjoyed doing it. If you guys have any ideas you'd like to see in this story, or any constructive criticisms to offer, I will gladly accept them if you give them in a review! **

**Also, I just realised I've forgotten something for EVERY. SINGLE. CHAPTER. PREVIOUS TO THIS ONE. SO IN ORDER TO COMPLETELY CLARIFY: NO, I DO NOT OWN NARUTO, NARUTO SHIPPUUDEN, ANY OF THE BIJUU, OR ANY PART OF THE FRANCHISE! It all belongs to a very rich Japanese man, and since I'm a rather poor English guy, that is obviously not me.**

**So enjoy and review! **

_**Chapter Eight: Sanbi no Kyodaigame**_

Naruto and Gaara realised exactly what was happening just in time to jump away from the gigantic ball of malicious chakra. The looked back to where they had been standing moments earlier to see nothing but deep black scorch marks and great gouges in the previous solid earth. They knew it was definately not wise to get hit by one of those. As they remember to divert their attention from the pulverised earth and back to the gigantic creature, they had to immediately jump to avoid a second chakra ball taller than they were.

Naruto charged forward, remembering the words of advice the Kyuubi had given him before the battle, and raised his hands. Quickly flashing through some handsigns, Naruto yelled ''**Raiton: Electromagnetic Murder!**'' which he quickly released. He knew it would be more effective than usual, due to the Kyodaigame's coating of water. Usually, it was only a C rank jutsu, but the use of water brought it up to a B rank which was the minimum needed to even effect the giant creature. As the electricity burst through it's body, amplified by the water, the Sanbi roared, it's one large eye widening in pain as it continued to thrash in the water. Spinning its body round at a speed that betrayed its large size, it charged forward and struck with a tail- determined to crush the nuisance.

What the Sanbi didn't expect to find was a fine barrier of sand flying up to intercept the attack. It wasn't enough to stop the swing, but it allowed Naruto to move himself out of the way. As Naruto moved back, Gaara jumped into his place. Sending a few kunai and shuriken laced with chakra toward, the Sanbi, Gaara struck with his fist. He barely missed the Sanbi's head as the giant turtle moved quickly again, and the projectiles clattered and fell useless against it's powerful shell. By this time, Naruto had thought out a strategy. Calling Gaara back, the two quickly discussed the plan and then began to put it into effect.

Naruto jumped back, creating a pair of shadow clones which he had recently learnt from the Kyuubi. The three flashed through a long stream of handsigns in unison, using each other as a support to increase the strength of the jutsu. Whilst this was happening, Gaara was flashing around as fast as he could, keeping the Sanbi on its proverbial toes and inflicting small superficial wounds on the soft skin around the neck and joints. As soon as Naruto had completed the final handsign, Gaara jumped back- now covered in water and not eager to get trapped in a jutsu from his ally.

The trio of Naruto's yelled loudly ''**Raiton: Lightening Fang!**'' simultaneously, and the clouds above instantly darkened. Being in Water Country, the air was not perfect for raiton jutsus, but it was acceptable enough for Naruto to use this jutsu. The clouds roared as they grouped together over the Sanbi, and became immediately charged with static. This was a standard B rank jutsu, but with three being used at once it was possibly an A rank, maybe even S rank if the user was strong enough. As Naruto willed it, the clouds unleashed a great barrage of lightening down upon the Sanbi, striking each of its tails and its head. Naruto was sure to avoid striking at its armored shell as it would render the attack nearly useless.

The Sanbi roared a great shout of pain, the lightening becoming three times more powerful than standard, and the conductive water surrounding him wore greatly down on his stamina. The Sanbi was the first tailed beast to be created by the Sage of Six Paths, and was therefore the oldest. Whilst he was still incredibly powerful, its primal mind knew it wasn't in its prime and was greatly suited to tactics and knowledge. He couldn't keep it up for long, and needed to finish this fight.

Naruto echoed the sentiment- he was burning through his chakra quickly using strong attacks simultaneously without stopping again and again. Gaara was also tired, although not to the same extent. He knew the Sanbi was fast, and it took a great deal of chakra channelled to his feet to allow him to outrun it, even for only 20 seconds.

As Naruto's mind quickly searched its arsenal of jutsus, he came upon a particularly powerful raiton jutsu he had never tried to use practically. As he began working through handsigns, he heard the loud and harsh yell of the Kyuubi.

**''Kid, don't do that! We're trying to restrain and seal, not murder and obliterate. His age is bearing down on him, and he will be desperate. Make your move with a lower rank jutsu after he next attacks before he can reconstruct his defenses.''** Naruto nodded and quickly relayed the message to Gaara.

Whilst they plotted, the Sanbi had gathered up more chakra from its seemingly endless reserves. Forming not one, but two of the balls which had ravaged the earth merely minutes ago, it unleashed both in different directions, one toward Naruto and one toward Gaara, both of whom where still catching their breath. The sand was quickly thrown up in a shield by Shukaku, but it wasn't enough. The Sanbi had two more tails, and was therefore more powerful- it's chakra burst through the shield. Shukaku cursed and yelled inside Naruto's head, and quickly panicked. He knew this wouldn't turn out good, he knew it would mess up, and now he was going to die trapped within the body of an overambitious runt.

But then, Gaara thrust chakra in front of them. Noticing the plan, Naruto summoned from his enormous chakra reserves and produced the pure energy required to back up Gaara's defense and protect them from the explosion. As the smoke cleared, Gaara and Naruto sat panting, out of breath and nearly out of chakra- Naruto knew he would have to work quickly. Noting the sluggish movements of the Sanbi, Naruto knew it was time. Naruto took the open opportunity. Forming one hand handsigns in order to quickly get through the jutsu, he yelled ''**Raiton! Lightening Ball!**'' knowing that the C rank would do nothing more to the Sanbi than put it off guard for a few seconds, allowing Naruto to seal it.

The ball impacted harshly into the side of the Sanbi's head which held the blind eye, Naruto observed as his jutsu caused another roar of pain- he knew he would have to apologise to the behemoth once it was sealed.

Drawing upon the Kyuubi and Shukaku's chakra to allow him to complete his task, he formed dual one handed handsigns, and yelled out his sealing technique for wild bijuu. ''**Fuuinjutsu: Entrapment of the Tailed Beast!**''. As he watched, the jutsu took effect. The stature of the Sanbi grew gradually smaller and smaller, becoming steadily more transparent. Gaara watched with wonder as the Sanbi became the size of a large house, then the size of a ramshackle hut, then the size of a small football- then melted into a pure ball of chakra roughly the same size. The chakra ball began a steady course towards Naruto. It wasn't fast, but nor was it slow. Naruto decided to simply let it come to him, and join him as a person without being hurried. Lifting his shirt for access, Naruto watched as the chakra funnelled itself in through his seal. As the last of the chakra dissapeared, a second ring, thicker than the first appeared around the centre of his navel, roughly three times the distance away than the Shukaku mark. Naruto suddenly felt his chakra being replenished, and turned toward Gaara with a smile on his face.

Clearing up the area of shuriken and kunai and deciding they couldn't really do much about the scorch marks the Sanbi inflicted upon the land, or the scorch marks Naruto's Raiton jutsu's brought, they made their way back to camp roughly 5 miles away from the lake. It took them a long time to return, both of them nearly out of chakra despite the fact that Naruto's had been replenished by the Sanbi- it was simple too much chakra for the sealing techniques. When they reached the camp, the two of them decided to fix up a dinner and then meditate. The dinner would be simple but nourishing- a few wild vegetables with some fish Gaara had found by the side of the lake, fish which were obviously cast out by the Sanbi's struggling.

After eating, the two settled down to meditate- Gaara in order to focus and allow his chakra to fill up quicker, and Naruto to meet his new tenant. If he was awe-inspiring enough for Kyuubi to respect him, he was definately going to change the now tri-jinchuuriki's perception of bijuu. So far he had seen insanity in the form of Shukaku, and arrogance combined with pride in the Kyuubi- he was about to witness grandeur, and an intelligence which made Shikamaru look like a preschooler.

Entering his mind, Naruto found that his mindscape had changed since he had last saw it. The water was gone. Where to, Naruto wasn't sure, but it had left the pathways and given him a much quicker route to where he knew the Kyuubi, Shukaku, and now the Sanbi resided. Entering the vast room which contained the bijuu, Naruto noted where all the water had gone to. It had formed a pool, which the Sanbi was currently sat in, gently swimming around with his flippers- suffice it to say he accepted his capture a lot more easily than the Shukaku did. It took a moment for the Sanbi to realise his new jinchuuriki had entered, and he quickly turned around to greet him. He wide eye was now a calm blue, like an ocean on a still day.

**''Ohayo, Naruto-san. Kyuubi-san here was just telling me you are my new jinchuuriki. I must greatly thank you for freeing me from the horrible beastly state. I do much detest losing my inhibitions, but unfortunately it is just the consequence of losing your jinchuuriki. Yagura was oh so kind to me before I was cast out by some obscure ritual. I have had to watch myself become a degenerate over the last few years. Once again, I must thank you for returning my wits to me.'' **the Sanbi had a deep voice, but it was smooth, not at all grainy or harsh like Gaara's. Naruto was immediately surprised...he had expected the Sanbi to be intelligent, he had already been warned by Kyuubi about that, but he hadn't expected him to be quite as formal as he was. It was new for Naruto to see anyone except ANBU elites which he barely remembered from the village talking to completely formally. It was almost as if he had practised the speech beforehand.

''No problem Kyodaigame-sama! Kyuubi-sensei and Shukaku-sensei were telling me of your intelligence and strategic expertise, so it was much my pleasure to recruit you onto my team. I must also thank you for giving me chakra after the battle- such a powerful seal always takes a lot of energy and I was about ready to pass out without your aid. I was hoping that with your expertise in Suiton chakra and jutsu's, you would be able to become my sensei. Kyuubi-sensei is knowledgeable on katon and kinjutsu's, and Shukaku-sensei is very capable of teaching fuuton and doton when the time to be helpful strikes him. If you were to do this for me, it would be the greatest thanks you could provide.'' was Naruto's response.

**''I'm afraid I cannot do that,'' **Sanbi said, Naruto's face dropping. **''you have done too much for me just to teach you jutsus. I shall also mentor you in the ways of the nobility, and teach you knowledge that time has forgotten- but I haven't. This, and nothing less, shall be my gift to you for freeing me from being a delinquent monster. Also, I hated it in the lake near Kirigakure. Too much industrialisation, the pollution ruined my lake...'' **obviously showing his age, the Sanbi drifted off into a completely unrelated subject and then went quiet. He then resumed his swimming in the small lake.

**''I told you he was intelligent.'' **was Kyuubi's immediate reaction.

**''And I told you he was boring!'' **Shukaku cackled, rolling around laughing at the rush he had gotten from the vicious fight.

Naruto decided the sight of Kyuubi gazing upon someone with reverance was too weird for him, and he quickly fled from his mindscape and settled down to sleep.

_**Back In Konoha, at Iruka's eventual meeting with Sandaime Hokage.**_

''Hokage-sama, Hokage-sama!'' Iruka yelled as he made his way quickly through the ranks of people in the mission office, and running into the Hokage's office for his meeting which was arranged the day prior. The Hokage was anxious to book it as soon as possible, in order to make a diversion from paperwork.

''Yes, Iruka-san?'' The Hokage asked, surprised by the urgency with which the academy teacher burst through his door.

''Hokage-sama, Naruto! Naruto!'' he yelled.

''Iruka-san, I thought we concluded that Naruto-san was deceased? I believe having been missing for 5 years with no sign of life or sightings anywhere within the elemental nations would be enough to prove this to you.''

''Hai, and it did! I truly believed him gone, but late last night I recieved this note,'' he slid the note onto the table. ''It was pushed underneath my door by an arm which was wearing an orange jumpsuit. Read the letter, and tell me that isn't Naruto's handwriting. He's alive Hokage-sama, and was recently in Sunagakure! The letter said he was leaving soon, but he can't have gone far- we have to send out a search team!'' Iruka yelled, almost bouncing at the prospect of returning Naruto to Konohagakure.

The Hokage scanned the letter, taking in the words and saviouring them. It was quite clear this was Naruto's writing, and that the blond-haired missing nin was still alive out there.

''Iruka-san. This is fantastic news, but I'm afraid we cannot allow a search team to go out. After Orochimaru's recent invasion at the chuunin exams six months ago, we cannot spare any ninja from our village for such a mission. I'm afraid we will have to rely on Naruto's own skill. If he had survived this long without impairing himself, then it is obvious he has grown strong and can protect himself.''

At that moment, a large bang was heard outside, along with a scuffling sound. Then the door burst open to reveal a calm looking Kakashi Hatake, followed by Sakura Haruno and Sai- Sasuke had recently left to join Orochimaru, and the team was looking for a replacement. Iruka's anger was quickly replaced by curiosity when he saw a scroll in the grey haired Jonin's hand. Walking forward, Kakashi placed the scroll on the table with only a few words.

''Hokage-sama, Naruto has been spotted in Kirigakure, along with Gaara no Sabaku, his companion from Suna, battling the Sanbi no Kyodaigame.'' the look on Iruka and the Hokage's face was obviously one of panic. They were sure Naruto would have died, even with Gaara's help- it was obvious that not even Sarutobi could take on a full powered bijuu and win in a fight, let along a genin and a chuunin!

Iruka began crying immediately and slumped against the desk, muttering about a foolish Naruto and an even stupider ''tag-along'' before Kakashi spoke his next sentence.

''Hokage-sama, pictures have been taken of the event, and a full report has been given on the subject. Sarutobi, Iruka...Naruto won.'' with that, Kakashi strode out of the Hokage's office, leaving a dumbstruck Iruka and a completely befuddled Hokage in the same spots they were.

''What...on earth...is that boy?'' the Hokage asked himself rhetorically.

_**With Naruto and Gaara.**_

The morning was pleasant. The sun was strong, but not hot due to the cool Water Country climate. The air was thick, like that around a swamp and the two boys resolved to leave the spot immediately.

''Where will we head from here Naruto?'' Gaara asked, having regained his lost chakra and eating his light breakfast.

''Yeah Kyuubi, where to?''

**''Don't ask me Naruto. Ask Kyodaigame-sama. He is the most knowledgeable and insightful creature here.'' **Kyuubi answered.

**''Indeed,'' **Sanbi said. **''My mental link to the other bijuu allows me to know exactly what we should be doing. According to my sources, the Rokubi no Namekuji and his jinchuuriki get along in a kind of reluctant-fashion. Whilst they are willing to live peacefully, I doubt if his Jinchuuriki Utakata from Kirigakure would mind if we took him. We should head there next.'' **

Nodding, Naruto relayed the information to Gaara, who agreed with the sentiment. It would be easier to seperate jinchuuriki and bijuu who weren't attatched first- and then take the ones which had made friends later, after they had gained practise.

''Well Gaara...it appears we must go to Kirigakure.''


	9. Chapter 9: Utakata and Roshi

**Hi there! This chapter is a little shorter, but it's mainly a filler just to get some of the alliances out of the way, and to clear up some of the Jinchuuriki. I think it has some nice interesting parts, and it's not too short to be irritating I think. The next chapter will be longer, as we will clear up the Gobi, the Nanabi and the Niibi, all in one chapter! It will also include journey information, training updates, new skills and a report back to Konoha, so be on the lookout for that epic update haha. Once again, thanks for sticking with me through my fic, and I have a question to ask. Does anyone think I need a beta, or am I going pretty nicely without one? I think I'm not doing too badly myself but if you want me to, I can get one for any small mistakes.**

**All information for my fics is taken from Narutopedia, because I can't remember everything off the top of my head lol.**

**Thanks for reading, and I hope you review. It really makes my day to get a nice long review from you guys :D Until next time, MNIARR! **

_**Chapter Nine: Utakata and Roshi**_

Naruto had been travelling toward Kirigakure for two days. Upon arrival, and questioning as to the whereabouts he was rejected- being told the Utakata had become a missing-nin a few years ago, and that he was last spotted in the woods closer to Fire Country than Kiri. Naruto cursed- he hadn't planned on going that close to Konoha for a long time, but if it was what it took to accomplish the mission, Naruto was willing to spend a short while in discomfort in order to bring the world closer to safety.

And that was why there were where they were now. Flying through the forest after a tall, thin male with dark brown hair which hung over his left eye dressed in some loose pants and what looked to be a light blue bath robe. He was continually releasing streams of bubbles behind him, some simply drifting by and popping, others exploding violently. Naruto and Gaara couldn't quite identify which bubble was likely to do which thing, so they simply found it safer to avoid them all. Obviously, this slowed them down considerably as sometimes the swarms of bubbles could be in their hundreds. They nearly lost sight of the Kiri missing-nin several times. It seemed that the only thing he carried was a crooked bubble blower, which obviously was the source of his bubbles, and proved that if it was all he needed for such violent attacks with ease, he obviously had a ferociously strong suiton affinity.

Naruto also noticed that he was quite lazy and laidback. If he was going to run for a great distance without releasing any bubbles, he would simply release a giant bubble and ride within it, allowing it to carry him through the trees without a care in the world. He looked stoic, but in a peaceful way, rather than the harsh way of the Gaara that Naruto had first met, and in the same way that a Gaara without Shukaku was. Gaara's intelligence was what eventually led to Utakata's capture. He had laid a trap with his chakra control- something he had gained since perfecting his taijutsu. Releasing a weak burst over a long distance, Gaara had popped the bubble Utakata had been floating in over thin air. As he fell, he summoned bubbles to catch him, but it wasn't before Naruto's sand had wrapped itself around his waist and maintained the hold. Utakata didn't seem to mind and relaxed into the makeshift hammock quite quickly.

Naruto had spoken with the Rokubi's jinchuuriki for a long time. He found that despite his completely lazy appearance, Utakata was actually an A-rank missing nin at first he left, and was on the verge of becoming S rank at the time they had found him. He was in complete control of his bijuu, and they lived almost completely seperate lives. It hadn't taken too long to convince Utakata to part with the six tails- he never really used its power anyway. Which some blood, some handseals and a yell of '**'Fuuinjutsu: Akuma no tens****ō!** (Sealing Technique: Transfer of the Devil)'' before the six tails was happily incorporated into Naruto's mindscape. Utakata generally acted no different- it appeared he truly was disconnected from the Rokubi the entire time, unlike Gaara and Naruto himself, who now contained four bijuu and a total of 19 tails in his mind. Naruto knew himself that he was already one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful, being on the planet in terms of chakra but he didn't allow it to get to his head. He knew that most of his power was not truly his own, and he strived to allow himself to master as many of his abilities as possible.

They had spent the night with Utakata, and Naruto had noticed Gaara was exceptionally friendly toward the fellow ex-jinchuuriki. The two seemed to get along like two peas in a pod- Naruto knew it wasn't often that Gaara got close to anyone, and this sort of bond was very similar to the one Naruto had worked weeks to achieve with the former Suna shinobi. That night Gaara had approached Naruto looking completely serious.

''Naruto, do you remember when I promised you that I wouldn't want to bring anyone else along with us on the journey?'' Gaara asked, face stoic.

''Yeah I remember that Gaara. What of it?''

''I lied. I want to bring Utakata with us. I'm going to have to revoke that promise for an exception.'' Gaara continued, his feelings still not betrayed upon his face.

''Ahh, I think Gaara-kun has a crush on Utakata-san! Hahahahahah, yeah Gaara, you could let him tag along. He doesn't look like he'll be a problem, and he'll just as an adept suiton user onto our team. I may be learning suiton from the Sanbi, and now from the Rokubi, but I'm still not as good as Utakata.'' Naruto said. It was quite clear by the blank look on Gaara's face that he wasn't pleased with Naruto's laughter.

''Thank you, Naruto.'' he quickly said and then walked off back to his spot next to Utakata and resumed his conversation.

_**Two Weeks Later**_

Naruto, Gaara and Utakata were travelling down the main road toward Iwagakure, in Earth Country. Their target- Roshi, the jinchuuriki of the Yonbi no Saru, the four tailed monkey, and Jonin of Iwa. Naruto knew his raiton jutsu's would be the most useful here. Utakata's ability to practically create an unescapable ooze from his feet, a trick he had retained from his time with Rokubi, would also prove invaluable in trapping down the Yonbi jinchuuriki.

Roshi's use of lava jutsu's was also very interesting for Naruto. As far as he knew, he was the only person capable of them aside from the Mizukage, Mei. The fact that Roshi was also adept at them proved the power boost the Yonbi would give to his already established yoton arsenal.

So far, the easiest capture was Gaara's, fast and efficient with a comfortable sleep afterwards. Utakata's was the most infuriating. The Kirigakure missing nin simply floated off whenever they got within 10 feet, and continued to bombard them with completely unpredictable weaponry. The most ferocious battle was that of the Sanbi, which took a lot of chakra and a large amount of brute force. But if all that was so, then the overall most difficult fight was Roshi's. Despite lacking the strength Utakata's bijuu had, his Yonbi was ferocious and very much offensive. Combined with a stamina which made Naruto's look merely average, and the experience gained by being a Jonin for at least 10 years, it was safe to say that Roshi easily made up for his lack of an extra two tails. Naruto had more chakra, but Roshi's control was a lot more fine tuned and his jutsu arsenal was much wider, due to his years of inventing and collecting the releases of both a doton and a katon nature, including their combines yoton releases.

Naruto continued to strike. He and Gaara built up a pattern of attack which utilised the strengths of both ninja. Narutos stamina and strength allowed for him to give damage out to Roshi without truly maiming him, and Gaara's speed was almost too fast for the Iwa nin to see, despite his vast experience dealing with swift opponents. This combined with Utakata's slug ooze which cut his mobility in half, it still took over 4 hours of constant fighting before Roshi's chakra was worn enough for Utakata to capture him inside a thick bubble.

''What do you want with me, you monsters?'' Roshi yelled, tearing his armored mask from his face and glaring out, both angry and looking mildly scared.

''We don't want to hurt you Roshi-san, in fact it would have been much nicer for us if you hadn't tried to kill us the moment we said the word bijuu.'' was Gaara's slightly venomous response.

''Well I apologise, but everyone else has simply wanted to use me as a weapon. Explain how you know about the bijuu, and what you want with mine!''

''Well Roshi-san,'' Naruto began. ''I was the original jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune. When I was seven, 5 years ago, he told me I had to leave my village and become a missing ninja. He told me about a group called the Akatsuki who would in time begin to collect the bijuu from their hosts. Unfortunately, their method of sealing kills the jinchuuriki. We couldn't allow that to happen, so Kyuubi-sensei allowed me to train under him until we reached Sunagakure. We left from Konoha first, you see. Upon reaching Suna, we met Gaara here. He was the jinchuuriki of the Ichibi no Shukaku,''

''Wait, Naruto-san, you say _was_ he jinchuuriki. What do you mean?'' Roshi asked inquisitively.

''Using a seal the Kyuubi taught me, I was able to extract the Shukaku from within Gaara and store the bijuu within my own mind. At that point, I became the worlds first dual-jinchuuriki. Then when I left Sunagakure, Gaara decided to come with me in thanks for saving him from Shukaku. The only reason I am able to sleep and subdue him is because of the Kyuubi who basically bullies him for only having one tail. Me and Gaara trained for a while, and using a collaboration with Shukaku and Kyuubi, I came up with yoton jutsu's myself- which is why I was surprised when I saw you had them. Then we found the Sanbi no Kyodaigame wild in a lake south of Kirigakure. Without a jinchuuriki, he was wild and strong, intent on killing us. Once we sealed him within me, I became the jinchuuriki of a total of 13 tails. This was heavy on my mind, until the Sanbi did a cleansing jutsu which spread it's calming influence throughout me. From there, we continued North to Kiri, only to discover that Utakata here ran from Kiri years earlier. We found him in a forest North of Konohagakure in Fire Country, and convinced him to also give up his bijuu to us. Since I gained my 4th bijuu, he has stayed with us.'' Naruto leaned in close to Roshi. ''And between me and you, I think him and Gaara have a thing going on.'' he leaned back out.

''So you're saying...you and your gay friends are travelling the nations capturing bijuu within a single, adolescent soul at the command of a cunning demon in order to stop a criminal organisation that you have no proof exist from killing everything we know.'' Roshi questioned. When he saw the nods of the boys, he gasped. ''You have some guts kid. And if there's one thing I admire, it's guts. I'll give you my Yonbi on the condition you allow me to travel with you. I shall teach you all I know about yoton jutsu's, and I shall help Gaara-san train in taijutsu. He is fast but his blows lack the strength needed to shatter bone and bring an enemy to his knees.''

Naruto gasped, exasperated. It was originally going to be him and the bijuu...and now it was him, the bijuu, and three ex-jinchuuriki. He extracted the Yonbi from Roshi and admired the Iwa Jonins strength. He didn't wince even one throughout the painful extraction process. He took the pain in his stride and never allowed himself to break his resolve. As much as Naruto hated it, he could tell there were worse people for him to have with him on such a journey. Roshi was practical, and helpful. He was a classic samurai gentlemen. He valued his honour above all else and was possibly the most reliable of the group. Gaara was simple not experienced enough with his taijutsu to be useful in the most demanding situations, and Utakata was simply to predictably lazy for emergencies. Roshi, on the whole, was possibly more experienced than all three combined and he had the widest arsenal of jutsu.

Overall, he was a tolerable addition to the team.

Naruto didn' take long to discover himself spending most of his time with the team. Before when it was Gaara and Utakata with him, the two generally stayed together whilst Naruto meditated, but Roshi almost forced them to spend time together. He said that a team needed to know each other on a personal level, so that they could work autonomously. He valued teamwork above most other things, and constantly reminded Naruto during their yoton training how he could use various jutsu's in conjunction with Gaara or Utakata's jutsu. Naruto accepted his points and eagerly learnt as much as he could from the Jonin. He was everything Naruto wished to be when he grew to that age- powerful, clever, strategic, wise and overall, a good man. Naruto knew he wouldn't regret taking the samurai-shinobi along in the long run.

Then, whilst Naruto was meditating, using chakra to levitate several inches above the ground and slowly rotate, Kyuubi spoke for the first time in several days.

**''Naruto, the jinchuuriki of the Gobi no Irukuama, the Five Tailed Dolphin Horse also resides in Iwagakure. We should seek him out before he leave as he could be a fantastic addition to our team. And before you get all huffy with me, just know that from now, every jinchuuriki has to join us. Each one is more experienced than you and therefore could be of use in the future. No arguments kid, or I'll let Shukaku talk to Kyodaigame-sama again.'' **Naruto blanched as he remembered the epic argument which had occured last time, ending when the Sanbi called Shukaku an uneducated little trollop and went for another swim in his lake.

''Okay Roshi, do you know a ''Han'' anywhere in Iwa? Apparently he is the Jinchuuriki of the Gobi.'' Naruto said.

''Han-sama! He's the leader of the samurai-shinobi corps which I belong ... I mean, belonged to! I never even knew he was a jinchuuriki- he kept it so well hidden. Hai Naruto-san, I know where we could find Han. Let us head to Iwagakure no Sato!'' Roshi repliedd

Well, they knew where they were going!


	10. Chapter 10: Three more Jinchuuriki

**Once again, I have outdone myself in terms of chapter length- this one exceeds 4700 words! It's definately the longest so far, and took me the longest too. I found the easiest bit of this chapter to write was the beginning, with Han. He's a fantastic character, and he really needed to be used more in the manga...waste of a great character. Oh well, Masashi's loss, my gain because now I can do anything I want with him and it isn't OOC! **

**Disclaimer: Not mine. Kishimoto's. **

**Guys, review this one and tell me what you think. I can't wait till I get to write Killer Bee...such a great character haha. I suck at rhymes as well, so I'll be perfect for writing in his style.**

**REAAAAAAD...and review please. lol**

_**Chapter Ten: Three More Jinchuuriki.**_

Naruto followed Roshi into Iwagakure henged into an old man. He had left Gaara and Utakata to defend the campsite incase of bandits or wild animals, and he himself had gone with Roshi to see if they could convince Han to join their group. Along the way, Naruto couldn't stop Roshi yammering on about his squad-leaders almost god-like size and strength. Apparently, no one had ever bested him in taijutsu, and his ninjutsu was rather impressive as well. Naruto didn't quite believe it- Roshi made it out to seem as if the man was a giant capable of squashing the people around him like ants. Naruto drew some stares from the shinobi in the village. Almost everyone wanted to know who this old man was, and why a Jonin of their village was telling him about another Jonin. Not just any other Jonin either, one of the members of the Tsuchikage's personal guard and one of the strongest ninja ever to be produced in Iwagakure.

As they continued toward the centre of the village, Naruto noticed the people around becoming more sparse, and the chakra levels of the people who were there rising as he headed toward the giant red temple in the middle of town. It was almost as if they avoided it, and only people of high strength dared to go there. As they reached the gate, Naruto stopped behind Roshi who raised his hand and ran it down the gate, whispering a few words softly. If Naruto didn't know better, he would think the armored Jonin was praying. Once the gate swung open, they proceeded through the court and into the main house. Naruto saw great works of art, huge paintings done with the most skilled of hands everywhere. Not a single wall lacked a piece of art, yet it looked as if the artist was still creating more- as if he would never stop.

They reached a large metal door, and Roshi raised his hand. Nodding toward Naruto, he knocked hard on the door. ''Han-sama, I have brought someone here to see you. He believes he has something interesting to discuss with you.'' without a word, the door swung open and Roshi gestured to Naruto to follow him inside.

The room was large and covered with paints and art supplies on one side, large swords and weaponry on the other. Sat in the middle was truly a giant of a man. If Naruto hadn't believed tales of Han's size before, he truly did now. If it weren't for his information source, he would have believed the one who sat in front of him to be a statue. The figure was at least 4 and a half feet tall and he was sitting cross legged. Covered from head to toe in a deep red armor which flexed with his every breath, including the armor covering his lower face. The figure was also wearing a wide brimmed red hat made of the same material. Laid across his lap was a sword which easily measured seven feet in length, and was probably heavier than Naruto's entire armor. The figure was not only tall, but he was quite obviously a large man. His armor was covered by a ripped remains of a gi which looked ragged and as if it had gone a while without restoring. As Naruto continued to walk closer, the figure raised its head and Naruto found himself staring directly into the brown eyes of Han, jinchuuriki of the Gobi.

''What did you wish to discuss with me?'' the soft voice of the giant emerged from behind the mask of armor, slightly muffled.

''Well, Han-san, I have a proposition for you. You see, I know about the bijuu and I know that you are a jinchuuriki.'' this caused a negative reaction from the samurai-shinobi. Raising to his feet, and easily standing above seven feet in height, Han peered down at Naruto, clutching is Zanbatou. ''Before you get angry, I have to tell you, I understand Han. I am a jinchuuriki also. In fact, I am the jinchuuriki to five different tailed beasts. I hold now the Ichibi no Shukaku, the Sanbi no Kyodaigame, the Yonbi no Saru, the Rokubi no Namekuji.'' this brought obvious shock to the giant mans eyes.

''How, I believed a jinchuuriki could only hold a singular bijuu.'' His voice still soft, lacking the fire his eyes had shown moments earlier.

''Indeed Han-san, that is the usual process, but I have been gifted. My original bijuu, the Kyuubi no Kitsune was the Lord of the Bijuu. Using his knowledge he taught me how to transfer demons from within others over to myself. I need to do it in order to defeat a criminal group called the Akatsuki who want the bijuu for some reason. All of the ex-jinchuuriki have begun to follow me, and I have been told it would be wise to continue in that vein. That is why Han-san, jinchuuriki of the Gobi Irukauma, I ask you to relinquish to me your bijuu, and join me in my quest. I promise you will not be treated harshly with me as you have been by the people of Iwagakure.''

Han seemed to contemplate this for a second, before sitting back down upon the floor and laying his Zanbatou across his lap again. Breathing heavily, he looked into Naruto's eyes.

''I accept Naruto. Normally I would not be so quick to betray Iwagakure, but they have treated me too poorly for me to forgive in such a short time. This village is the reason I never remove my armor. It is not safe for me to do so- ANBU Black Ops have made attempts on my life before and I shan't risk it again.''

''Hai. Before we do the extraction, I must know Han, why is this room so contrasting?'' Naruto queried, only to be answered by a soft eye and a softer voice.

''Naruto-san, it is because a room is like the mind. And the mind has both a yin and a yang. Once side of the room is peaceful and creative, filled with fine thoughts. The other side is filled with murderous weaponry and instruments of pain. Yet look closer, each contains an element of the other. Ingredients in the paint can be fatal to humans, and whilst the swords are dangerous they hold a certain malicious beauty. I must maintain meditation on this line, crossing the borders in either territories to reach the plane of Zen.''

''Hai.'' Naruto accepted this explanation.

Laying out his materials for seals, and acquiring the blood of Han from the mans cheek, just above the mask, Naruto began his handsigns. He didn't want to hurt such a gentle man, so he worked slowly, making sure to articulate every thought and allow the pain to stay at the minimum. **''Fuuinjutsu: Akuma no tens****ō!** (Sealing Technique: Transfer of the Devil)'' Naruto whispered this time, and watched the small look of discomfort work it's way across the giant samurai's face as the power of a five tailed beast tore its way off of his soul and into Naruto, who absorbed it. By this point, the rings around his navel were sextuple, and formed an interestingly hypnotic pattern when looked at. After the sealing, Naruto was not tired like usual. He had now enough chakra to draw upon to allow him to use the chakra wisely.

Han then stood, and strapped his Zanbatou across his back and begun a steady pace towards the door. He had officially become a missing Nin of Iwagakure, like his disciple Roshi had the day prior, and was now headed to pastures greener with people who didn't hate him. Ahh, life was good for Han, ex-jinchuuriki of the Gobi.

_**A Week Later North of Kirigakure, heading toward Takigakure.**_

''Naruto-san, if you combine your water jutsu with your fire jutsu, its a boiling release, not a steam release. You cannot create steam in that manner. You must have to water first, and then use heat from the fire for steam. After the steam has been made, you then redirect it with chakra. Truly, there are no steam releases- it is all down to how powerful your control is, and how imaginative you are.'' Han was explaining for what seemed like the thousandth time, using the gigantic steam generator on his back to demonstrate for Naruto again. He knew it would be more suitable for the blonde to have a boiler also, but it wouldn't be practical. He had tried to pick it up once whilst Han slept, and couldn't even budge it's weight an inch without having to use chakra.

''I know Han-san, but it's just so frustrating! Where did you even come up with the idea to fight with steam?'' he yelled exasperated.

''Naruto, when you are backed into a corner you come up with very strange ideas. I simple utilised them as best I could.'' Hans voice had a slightly harder edge to it, despite retaining it's softness. Naruto wasn't sure if he had every really seen Han angry, and he wasn't really sure if he wanted to.

He had learnt that Han was generally distrustful of people, due to his treatment in Iwagakure, and his treatment during him visits to over hidden villages. He was a gentle man with a calm mind, and had the ability to think things through in great detail whilst being in the middle of a fight. If he had a mental equivalent during the fight, he was more similar to a withdrawn Sanbi than anything else in mind.

Naruto had also learnt that he was greatly protective of the things he loved or felt sorry for in anyway. Once on a mission, his team mate was cut down by a group of 20 ninja of Jonin level. Rather than leave her corpse and deprive her of a proper funeral, he fought his way through every single Jonin to get to the body. He returned without even a scratch on his armor. Calm in mind, unstoppable in battle; loya and caring and a clever tactition. Naruto was beginning to see the benefits of taking every Jinchuuriki along with him.

Another great feature of Hans was his enormous strength. Naruto wouldn't deny that he was the strongest person he had physically met. The blond haired missing nin made a mental note never to anger the red wearing samurai, in order to keep his own head on his shoulders. Althought Iwagakure didn't like his jinchuuriki status, or him as a person, they respected his strength. Once whilst in the village centre, Naruto heard a rumour that he had once wrestled a bull and won within five seconds.

And now here they were, the huge peaceful nin attempting to teach Naruto how to utilise steam in jutsus. It was something he was known for, and something he came up with on the fly on a mission. Once again to show how valuable an ally Han was to their team. The teaching took place at dusk, whilst there was still enough light to see, and not enough light to travel. They were travelling toward the small village of Takigakure, home of the Nanabi jinchuuriki Fu. Fu was the next target on their list for one reason: she hated her bijuu. Simply put, she resented him for depriving her of friends and a childhood. Yet she also loved him for helping her live in otherwise hopeless situations. In exchange for the chance to have good friends, Naruto was sure she would simply give her bijuu away and join them. Naruto was already making plans for what to do with all his jinchuuriki followers after he had collected every bijuu. Big plans.

Naruto found the Gobi the exact opposite of Han. He ran around, never stopping, never running out of energy, his five tails flying behind him as he crashed into Shukaku, barrelled into the side of Kyuubi's cage and fell in the Sanbi's lake. Facepalming, Naruto decided it would be best to just not talk to him until he had calmed.

_**In Takigakure, outside of Fu's Home.**_

''Okay guys,'' Naruto said towards Han and Gaara who had accompanied him for this recruit. ''She's apparently quite a happy upbeat person, if a little distrustful of people. I think if we can get her to believe our story then she will join us without much hesitation.'' and with that, Naruto stepped forward and knocked hard on the door.

There was the sound of shuffling from inside, and then the door swung open. The girl found herself staring into the stomach of a giant red samurai. Giving a squeek, she quickly stepped back and closed the door again.

''Fu-san, we are not here to hurt you. We merely wish to discuss with you an opportunity to join with us in making jinchuuriki as respected as they should be. Jinchuuriki should be heroes, you know this, but as the holder of the Nanabi no Kabutomushi, we are aware of your less than adequate treatment. Please allow us to explain to you without having a door in the say.'' Han said, his voice louder than usual, and therefore more muffled against his mask.

Slowly, the door creaked open and Fu poked her head out of the hole. Giving a nervous smile, she stepped back and gestured for the people to come in. Fu lived in a relatively small house, which whilst it was fine for Naruto and Gaara, Han needed to crouch over to fit through the door. Once again Naruto and Fu appreciated the enormous stature of the ex-Iwagakure jinchuuriki.

''Explain yourselfs. Jinchuuriki are hated, but how do you know this? Do you know a jinchuuriki? Are you related to one? And why do you want to help us?'' Fu asked every question in rapid successful, not faltering once and keeping a permanantly cheery lilt to her speech. It was almost deceiving, and if Naruto hadn't received training for his mind from both the intellectual Sanbi and the philosophic Han, he would have not noticed how she seemed angry and was keeping it hidden.

''Well Fu, the simple answer is, we are jinchuuriki. Well, I am, and the people sitting to the left and right of me used to be jinchuuriki. I extracted their bijuu for them, and sealed it within myself. These two are not the only members of my entourage. Roshi and Utakata are waiting back at camp, and I sealed the Sanbi no Kyodaigame when he was without a jinchuuriki. I have a mission to gather them all within myself in order to protect them from a group called the Akatsuki who aim to use them for evil. I'm asking you to join us, in return for friendship and a team. Whilst in a village, we act as a team- as if Han-san was our sensei and Gaara and I were his genin. However I can assure you we are all at least Jonin rank. Please join us.'' Naruto summarised.

He could see the thoughtful look on Fu's face, almost as if she were working her way through all possibilities. He could see various emotions from annoyance and anger to glee and happiness on her face all within the space of a minute, and he found himself zoning out. _''She was pretty'' _he noticed. Her short cut soft-looking green hair was a new colour and style for Naruto, and he found he thought it suited her very much. Her orange eyes were also unusual, and he got slightly lost staring into them. By this point, he was sure the observant Han had noticed his staring, and that he probably looked like an idiot, but he didn't care. His eyes followed her neck down to her torso and found a certain appendage growing in his pants at the sight of her small outfit. He was glad he had chosen to wear baggy pants that day.

''Naruto san, how can you prove that you are who you say you are, and that these people are indeed jinchuuriki.'' she said, glaring defiantly at him with determination in her orange eyes.

''Simple,'' he said, raising his shirt and showing her the seal on his stomach. ''I get an extra ring around the centre for each bijuu I seal within myself. Gaara and Han don't really have a way to prove their jinchuuriki status, but I can assure you that before my intervention, they were both as hated as you are now. They like it in our group. Gaara even has a boyfriend! Please come along, but if you really do not wish to, we shan't force you. But I need your bijuu.'' he said in a pleading tone, ignoring the glare from Gaara at the boyfriend comment.

She once again went into thinking mode. Her face was an open book, showing all of her emotions freely. She also used various small noises to get things across to herself- Naruto found the whole situation quite cute and endearing. By this point he knew he had a crush on her, and would do almost anything short of sacrifice his bijuu to get her to go with them. He had fallen face first and he didn't care.

''Will it hurt?'' she asked. It was at this point that Han intervened.

''It shall depend on how strong your bond is with the Nanabi. It hurts more if you are strongly bonded, like I and my Gobi, than if you are weakly bonded like Gaara-san was to Shukaku.'' he said, he voice keeping it's completely soft tone all the way throughout his explanation. Fu just stared once again at the soft spoken, gigantic red samurai with a boiler on his back sat in her living room. She once again began contemplating.

And that was how it went. For a whole hour, she would go into thinking mode. then switch to question mode, and then switch back faster than Naruto could keep track. He just took the opportunity to stare at her, and drink in her features. Eventually she reached a conclusion.

''Yah okay, I'll go with you guys! I have nothing better to do back here. Seal me up and fire away Naruto-kun, get that beetle outta there!'' her happy-go-lucky demeanor returned and he found himself writing seals in ink on a struggling, ticklish girl from Taki. Eventually he got the seal written on her stomach, and the blood needed for the process. Repeating his ritual that he had done with Roshi, Utakata, Han and Gaara so far, he felt the now recogniseable influx of power one received from adding another few tails into your total chakra.

He felt tired again. Whilst not as tired as he was originally sealing bijuu, the Nanabi was the strongest yet and really didn't seem to want to co-operate. He found himself practically wrestling the beasts mind into his own. Whilst watching Fu, he deduced that his careful tactics were working, and that he was keeping the majority of the pain off of her.

Once they were rested, the left Takigakure and returned to the group.

_**Back in Konoha**_

_''If Hokage refuses to put out a rescue team,''_ Iruka thought. _''Then it must be because the council won't let him. Oh god Naruto, I hope you're still okay...it would have been the year he turned sixteen this year.''_

That's right. In Naruto's quest for the bijuu, it had taken almost 4 years to amass the majority of them. Now he only had two more to go- the Niibi no Bakeneko and the Hachibi no Kyogyu. Iruka was angry. Reports had been coming in of missing nin from all over the elemental nations, and the Hokage was having to spend most of his time adding criminals to the bingo book and updating his files. So far in the past four years, Gaara no Sabaku, resident of Sunagakure and jinchuuriki of the Ichibi no Shukaku had dissapeared last seen in a scroll fighting the Sanbi with Naruto- a battle which they apparently had won. Roshi, a Jonin from Iwagakure and his master Han, another Iwa Jonin had also gone missing days within each other. The two just happened to have been the jinchuuriki to the Yonbi and the Gobi. Utakata of Kirigakure was already a missing ninja, but whereas before you could find him, you couldn't anymore and he was the jinchuuriki of the Rokubi. And most recently, Fu, a Takigakure Jonin and jinchuuriki of the Nanabi no Kabutomushi had dissapeared off of the face of the planet. Whoever could take these powerful ninja with powerful tenants was not someone Iruka ever wanted to battle.

_**In the middle of Kumo, fighting Yugito- jinchuuriki of the Niibi.**_

Naruto narrowly dodged the raiton jutsu which had been flung moments before directly at his head. He wouldn't deny that whilst he greatly overpowered her, she was a lot more experienced in battle and was so far able to keep up with both Naruto and Han so far.

Yugito threw a full set of kunai and shuriken at Naruto who was still recovering from his minor shock to the leg. Smirking, she turned her back knowing he wouldn't be able to dodge. She quickly swung back around when she heard the clattering of metal on metal, and watched as the final two shuriken embedded themselves in the chest armor of Han. Hissing like a cat, she threw herself forward again, enveloping herself in the demonic chakra cloak. Raising his Zanbatou, Han struck down imbuing the blade with his chakra.

The resounding bang was incredibly loud and threw huge dust clouds into the air. As the smoke cleared, you could see Han pressing his sword harder and harder against the Niibi's forehead, using his enormous physical strength the overpower the bijuu. His sword couldn't do it any real damage as it was a chakra monster, but it was enough to subdue it for the time being. Steam rose like a snake being charmed from the chimney connected to his boiler and he jumped back, forming his hands into the hawk handsign.

**''Steam: Vision Eradication!'' **he yelled, allowing the steam to cover the field, burning things with it's immense heat. He himself was protected, as was Naruto due to him being also able to control steam on a rudimentary level. The Niibi, on the other hand, lost not only her vision but began to burn up. The blistering heat of the steam was sucking her chakra as well as giving her large burns. She knew it couldn't continue, but she would not allow herself to be captured and used as a weapon again.

Releasing a large ball of Chakra in the direction she had last seen the red samurai, she heard it slam futilely into a wall, crashing and grinding at the brick. She hissed again as the steam continued to get in her eyes and blind her.

She turned, just in time to meet a punch from a gloved hand at least the size of the average persons head. Whilst it didn't truly hurt, it was a setback she couldn't appreciate. She knew the man had a strong hook and wouldn't allow her jinchuuriki to meet it as it would surely shatter her bones. Biting down on the hand, she suddenly found herself lifted into the air. The ex-Iwa samurai captain had used his immense strength to lift the Niibi off of the floor into the air. Suddenly, a cry echoed from her left.

**''Fuuton: Daitoppa!''** Naruto yelled. A large gust of air smashed into the Niibi, sending her flying from Han's grip directly into a wall. The cloak went down and Yugito Nii was left slumped against the wall passed out. Han, being the gentlemen he was, strode up to her prone figure and lifted her. Following Naruto back to the campsite, Han carried Yugito all the way back refusing to put her down and allow Naruto to carry her. Even when she woke up in a confused daze, he simply calmed her as best he could and refused to put her down.

_**Back at Camp Later in the Evening.**_

''So you just thought you'd capture me, and use me as a weapon!'' Yugito yelled at Naruto, who was using a doton jutsu to prevent her escape. He used the chakra from the Gobi to hold the wall up, and therefore Yugito could not escape.

''NO! We would have explained everything to you like we explained to everyone else, if you hadn't shot lightening at my head the moment I said Jinchuuriki!'' Naruto was completely and utterly exasperated- he simply could not understand how everyone kept assuming they being used as weaponry!

''Well then explain now! It's not as if I can exactly get out of here!'' she yelled, and sat down. She knew she was being argumentative on purpose, but she needed an outlet.

*_**This is the bit where Naruto explains everything about the Akatsuki and why he has to capture the bijuu. Sorry for this part, but I really couldn't force myself to write it out a third time in one chapter.***_

''Wow...so you want my Niibi? And you want me to hand her over without a fight? And you want more to join your group of people and travel the world with you fighting the forces of evil?'' she asked. Naruto nodded. ''This is insane...this is truly insane, all of you are completely crazy. Hand over my bijuu! You know that a jinchuuriki dies if their bijuu is extracted.'' she ended on a whisper.

''Yugito-san, if that is true please explain how myself, Roshi-san, Utakata-san, Fu-san and Gaara-san are completely alive and we have had our bijuu extracted. Please trust Naruto-san, he is an honest man. One of the best I have ever met at his age of only 16 aswell- he shall become a fine man. Please agree to work with him like the rest of us.'' Han asked, a pleading note in his voice.

''Fine...Fine...I have nothing better to do now that you took me from the village- they probably think I escaped already. I suppose I have to join you. Seal away, Naruto-san.'' and with that, she laid down on her back and went to sleep.

After sealing her Niibi no Bakeneko, Naruto got a notice from the Kyuubi.

**''Kid, there are some powerful chakra signatures coming in from the South. One of them appears to be as strong as the Shukaku, maybe even the Niibi. We will have to get the Hachibi's spirit later on, we have bigger fish to fry right now. As a side note, me and Hachibi don't get on very well so when you seal him, be prepared for a headache...that horned bastard still owes me from that time I dug his soul out of that last Jinchuuriki...pathetic...'' **Naruto sighed.

Nothing could ever go easily for him, could it?


	11. Chapter 11: Red Moon Rising

_**Two things- one, sorry for this really late update, I have two reasons. One, my laptop charger is broken so I don't get to be on my computer very long and as such, not much time to write. The second reason is, that I've kind of lost a little bit of inspiration. D'ya know how to cure that? Reviews. Nao.**_

_**Another point, some people have pointed out that I've rushed the story a bit. That's very true, and re-reading it, I can see exactly where you are coming from, however, that lot of Bijuu collecting was necessary for the story to develope. Another point is, that he won't even MEET Killer Bee for 4 or 5 chapters, and probably won't get around to requesting Bijuu transfer for 6 or 7- this is cause shit is goin' down! The cliffhanger on the last chapter brings us directly into this part of the story...did you really think that Naruto would really be allowed to just off with Jinchuuriki without interference from some important organisation.**_

_**Anyway, Read and Review, my good buddies.**_

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Chapter 11: Red Moon Rising.**

Naruto and his accomplices were all running. Since they had felt the large chakra signature incoming, they had concluded it probably wasn't a good thing. The signature wasn't large enough to be the final Jinchuuriki they were looking for, but it was definately as powerful as one of the lesser Bijuu, maybe the Ichibi or Niibi. Along with this apparently gargantuan enemy, a secondary signature- smaller but still large- was travelling alongside it, something which had put the Jinchuuriki on edge- how was it that two people of such obvious strength came to be looking for them?

As they ran, Naruto and Gaara vaguely noted the murders of crows gathering in their hundreds above and in front of them. Whilst clear this couldn't be a good thing, something like this was not un-anticipated, and Naruto was confident they could fight them off. At the moment, he had a great headache, listening to the foul cries of the Ichibi as it howled in anticipation for blood, the roars of Kyuubi as he smacked the tanuki into the floor, the wizened advise of the Sanbi and the loud snoring of the Gobi. The howler-like screeches of the Yonbi had died down a few hours prior, and his headache had refrained from leaving alongside it.

''Naruto-san,'' the blond haired ex-genin turned to the location of the voice, the enormous stature of Han. ''The signatures are getting closer...I can sense they will be too powerful for just one of us to defeat.''

Naruto sighed...he had already concluded that, and the Sanbi had yelled at him not to forget about how powerful their enemies were certain to be. As he looked ahead, the crows began to merge. It started small, one or two of the crows blending in to each other and becoming a singular large crow. It was when the number of crows had almost halved, and the large crows began to fuse into enormous crows that Naruto and his friends began to worry. It became even worse when these 20 inch tall crows began merging with each other, and this pattern continued. Unexpectedly, the crows stopped merging into larger crows, and began jumping onto a small stack of other crows, which blended slowly, and after about thirty seconds, a pair of feet and legs had been constructed out of the crows. As he watched, they maintained the steady rate of fusion until a whole blank slate of a figure was made...and then features began to emerge.

After another agonising thirty seconds, it was revealed to be a dark haired man with a pony tail, dark eyes, two notable lines either side of his nose, an odd necklace and a large black and red patterned cloak. His eyes stared powerfully at the group of rogue Jinchuuriki, and eventually crimson bled into them, crafting a pattern in the dark black of his eyes which slowly began to spin. Soon enough, the water to the immediate left began pooling up above the surface, until it formed an almost head shaped object. This rose out of the ground, a neck following, then widening into broad shoulders which continued to to rise, more and more water gathering as the figure grew to the height of the red eyed man, and then even taller, with a larger frame. Within about half of the time it took the crows, a body was formed from the water, almost 6 and a half feet tall, until stopping and forming the true figure.

The skin was a pale blue, and the figures hair was a much deeper shade of the same colour. Located under beady eyes were three v-shaped slits, almost like the gills of a shark. The man had a cruel looking smirk, and was dressed in the same cloak as the other figure. On his back was a long, thick bandaged item which ended in a plethora of dark coloured spikes- the exact colour of which was hard to distinguish at that time of night.

The group of Jinchuuriki froze and looked towards their would-be assassins, and looked up into the face of the blue skinned one.

''Itachi,'' his voice ground out, identifying the shorter character. ''They look like they're going to run...let me cut off their legs so they can't escape.''

''No, Kisame, we have orders to return them unharmed to Leader-sama.'' 'Itachi' replied to the larger nin, now identified as Kisame.

''Hey, shut up!'' Naruto yelled, to the dismay of the Sanbi in his head, and most of his companions. ''You're not taking us anywhere! Who're you!''

Itachi spoke up. ''I am Itachi Uchiha, and this is my partner Kisame Hoshigaki. We have orders from Leader-sama to retrieve every one of you and take you back to Akatsuki headquarters. Further information is uneeded for you.''

Itachi and Kisame dissapeared at that time, and appeared again in front of the surprised Jinchuuriki. Kisame's large bludgeon-type object swung down at Naruto with terrifying force, only to be halted by the armoured arm of the one person present who was taller than Kisame- Han. The 7 foot 4 monster gripped the sword, lifted it off path (swinging Kisame off with it) and launched it back to where it started. Itachi stayed back, only launching the occasional kunai when the situation presented itself.

After a second, Kisame stood in the small crater filled with dust he had landed in, and looked back toward Naruto and Han. ''Hehe...you're a big fucker, aren't you?'' he chuckled, using his immense speed to almost teleport back in front of them, and deliver a blow to the chest of the armoured ex-Jinchuuriki. Han was forced back a few inches, but due to securing his feet with chakra, he wasn't too disturbed. With his almost equal speed, a fist as big as the swordsmans head crashed into Kisame's chest, which quickly dissolved into water. Han quickly channeled chakra into the furnace on his back, causing the water to heat and steam to spill out. Quickly slamming his way through handsigns, the steam immediately gathered to where Kisame next popped up, almost steaming the fish-man.

Elsewhere, at the same time, Itachi had been tackled by Roshi and Gaara, the sand swarming him and as soon as he escaped, large balls of lava being blasted in his direction. It wasn't extraordinarily difficult for the prodigy to dodge the attacks, but combined with the occasional bubble from the lazy kimono-wearing Utakata, which dissolved wherever he was going to land, he was gradually becoming irritated by the actions of his enemies, which only served to make his attacks more precise- Itachi thrived under pressure. To be honest, he hadn't expected them to be so skilled. Gaara was only 12, yet had admirable control over his sand, although Itachi could already tell his taijutsu wasn't going to be very good- something he had not been able to see the progress in, as Gaara's taijutsu practise left him with lithe muscles, not a body-builders physique. The old man Roshi was impressive also- he was probably going down the same path as the third Hokage. Aging, but not losing any of his skills. The one who made him the most curious is Utakata. He did nothing except blow very lethal bubbles whilst looking very very bored.

But not Itachi's level. He continued ducking and diving, meticulously taking his enemies apart with verbal snipes and kunai swipes which put them off guard and mis-directed their attentions. He wasn't trying to hurt them, he had had orders not to, merely trying to distract them enough to knock them all out. He watched from the corner of his eye as Kisame was repeatedly put down by Han, who refused to allow Yugito or Naruto to actually join in, as if he were protecting them. He mentally chuckled- usually Kisame won his battles by being bigger, and stronger than his opponent, but Han was nearly a foot taller than him, and had already demonstrated his immense strength. The only way Kisame could win was Samehada's chakra absorbing abilities, but the armour Han was wearing seemed to prevent much chakra from leaking through. Not to mention, steaming was the worst enemy of a fish like Kisame, and the was how Han usually attacked. Overall, Kisame was outclassed- but he wasn't going to give up, it seemed as if the missing nin from Kiri enjoyed being batted around for once, as if it was the most fun he had ever had.

He stopped laughing when Han gripped his left arm and his right leg and began pulling on both sides. Itachi shunshined directly to the area, seeing the small splits beginning to appear in Kisame's skin from the immense pressure, and delivered a harsh punch to Han's face. Ignoring the pain of having his fist crash into a sheet of steel over Han's face, he pulled Kisame away and the two fled.

''What...the fuck...was that?'' Naruto yelled, both mildly shaken and incredibly over-hyper. ''THAT WAS SUCH AN AWESOME FIGHT!''

''Naruto-san, no fight is fun, merely necessary.'' Han replied.

''The old me would agree...but now I know it's just stupid to fight.'' Gaara responded.

''Whatever,'' Naruto finished, still looking at Han with awe. ''You nearly ripped that guy in half! But hey...why wouldn't you let us fight him?'' Naruto was geniunely confused, as he knew he had more chakra than Han, and a few higher level jutsu's.

''It is simple Naruto san.'' Han began. ''You have so much to do after this, we couldn't do with you getting injured, not at all. Along with that, Kisame Hoshigaki is an S-ranked nin, if I remember correctly, and therefore needed someone of much more experience than you or Yugito-chan to battle him. Due to Roshi's age and smaller size, it was logical for me to take on Kisame-san. He was rather proficient with his sword, and without this armour, I doubt I would still be in one piece.''

As much as Naruto hated to admit it, he had to say that Han was right...he probably would have stood no chance against Kisame, especially with his current level of experience. The mist nin was too big, too strong, and too fast. In Naruto's spars with Han, he had found that even his hardest punches and attacks found it hard to make Han even notice him, yet one slash from Kisame and the giant Iwa nin was driven back a good few inches...that sort of attack would have mowed almost anyone else down, and shredded them in half. It was just good that Han's confidence in his power and armour wasn't misplaced, or one ex-Jinchuuriki could well have been eliminated from their group in that one attack.

Roshi, Utakata and Gaara stumbled back in, each of them having different amounts of wounds. Gaara's nearly inpenetrable sand shield was still active, although he had to control it conciously now- so he was mostly unharmed. Roshi didn't have that privilege, and as such had two shuriken in his legs and one kunai located in his right shoulder. Utakata's bubble shield had managed to slowly most of the kunai for him to escape so he only had the one shuriken wound, which he had already picked out on his way over the main group. Naruto and Yugito had no wounds whatsoever, due to Han's insistance on taking all possible blows, and fighting the fight for them.

Han had a lack of chakra from Samehada's special ability, but a lot more than he should have had due to his prolonged contact with the blade, which had put deep welts and scratches in his armour. His red armour was chakra controlling, so it prevented the majority of Han's chakra from being sucked out, and his steam shield gave him the advantage. Overall, Han had dominated the fight with Kisame, and walked away without any major injuries, whereas his opponent had wasted a lot of chakra on flashy attacked, had several broken bones from where he had attempted to charge Han head on and recieved powerful punches and kicks from the giant. There were even discoloured patches where Han was sure his steam had cooked his flesh a little.

Pondering upon what had happened all the way through the battle the group set up camp as it was approaching midnight, and they set up a watch- with Roshi and Han going last, due to need for rest from the injuries and chakra exhaustion respectively.

* * *

**_Hey guys, hope you all enjoyed that chapter mightily muchily! I think Han is quickly becoming a great character to write- and I think his fighting skills are quite well put here. Remember, I've not made him invincible in a fight, merely not someone Kisame could kill easily. Another point about Han- I thought my idea for him to literally steam the fish was brilliant! I'm a comedy genius! All Hail ME! ...or not.._**

**_Review! TELL ME ANYTHING YOU THINK ABOUT THIS CHAPTER. NAO._**


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